Counting the cost of illiteracy
- 40%
No country has ever achieved continuous and rapid economic growth without having first achieved an adult literacy rate above 40%.2
- 6%
It is estimated today that for each year that the average level of education of the adult population is raised, there is a corresponding 6% increase in per capita income.3
- 2%
Each year, illiteracy costs a developed nation 2% of its GDP, an emerging economy 1.2% of GDP, and a developing country 0.5% of GDP.4
Poor literacy affects us all, regardless of a nation's wealth of influence...
32 million adults in the U.S. can’t read.5
1 in 5 UK children leave primary school unable to read or write properly.6
3.7% of adult Australians still have very poor literacy skills.7
In Mali a mere 26% of the population is literate.8
India has the highest population of illiterate adults at 287 million, amounting to 37% of the global total.9
Almost 14 million Brazilians over the age of 15 are not literate.10
Between 1985 – 1994 China reduced its illiterate population by 71%, but there are still 53 million illiterate adults.11
We are making progress
- 86%
The global adult literacy rate is expected to have reached 86% by 2015 compared to 84.1% in 2013.12
- 92%
The global youth literacy rate is estimated to reach 92% by 2015 compared to 89.5% in 2013.13
- 93%
In the fast developing nations of East Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the average literacy for adults and youths now exceeds 93%, compared to 82 – 86% in 1990.14
Adult literacy rates in the Arab States rose from 55% in 1990 to 77% in 2013. Youth literacy rates in the Arab States rose from 74% in 1990 to 90% in 2013
The Arab States and South & West Asia have made the greatest progress since 199014
South & West Asia Adult literacy rates in South & West Asia rose from 47% in 1990 to 63% in 2013. Youth literacy rates in South & West Asia rose from 60% in 1990 to 81% in 2013
There is much still to do, and good reasons to do it
If we rise to the challenge of making the world more literate not only will we create a more affluent economy…
USA
$301billion
billion better off a year
Australia
$18billion
better off a year
The UK
$127billion
better off a year
India
$54billion
better off a year
China
$135billion
better off a year
Brazil
$27billion
better off a year
References
- http://www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/The_Economic_&_Social_Cost_of_illiteracy.pdf
- http://www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/why-literacy/
- http://unesco.de/dev/fileadmin/medien/Dokumente/Bildung/CONFINTEA_VI_Belem_Framework_for_Action_Final.pdf
- http://www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/The_Economic_&_Social_Cost_of_illiteracy.pdf
- http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/2007064.pdf
- http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/sites/default/documents/about-ofsted/speeches/Brighton%20College%20education%20conference%20speech%20-%20HMCI.pdf
- http://www.abs.givau/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4228.0Main=Features202011-12
- http://www.uis.unesco.org/literacy/Pages/Literacy-adult-youth-2011.aspx
- http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002256/225660e.pdf
- http://www.nesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/pdf/Brazil.pdf
- http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002256/225660e.pdf
- http://www.uis.unesco.org/literacy/Documents/fs26-2013-literacy-en.pdf
- http://www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/The_Economic_&_Social_Cost_of_illiteracy.pdf
- http://unesco.nl/sites/default/files/dossier/gmr_2013-4.pdf?download=1
- http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002257/225787E.pdf