Our basic quality of life depends on our ability to read, write, and comprehend.
The reality of literacy in America
More people are affected by low literacy in the United States than are diagnosed with cancer or heart disease. By working together to solve this challenge, we can boost our economy, improve public health and safety, and so much more.
Literacy affects everyone, everywhere
Today, 130 million Americans—54% of adults aged 16-74—lack the literacy skills that many take for granted, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. About 43 million adults, nearly one in five, read below a third-grade level, finding it difficult or impossible to fill out a job application, read a medication label, understand a news article, or read a book with their children. Young readers are struggling as well: 64% of our nation’s fourth graders read below grade level.
Low literacy is linked to some of today’s most pressing concerns, including economic growth, public health and safety, and civic engagement. The good news is that by investing in literacy, we can help build:
- A stronger economy – Helping all adults reach the equivalent of a sixth-grade reading level could generate an additional $2.2T—or 10% of GDP—annually. Rothwell, J. (2020, September). Assessing the Economic Gains of Eradicating Illiteracy Nationally and Regionally in the United States. Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
- Healthier families – By improving adult literacy rates, the U.S. could save up to $238B in healthcare costs each year. Berkman, Nancy & Sheridan, Stacey & Donahue, Katrina & Halpern, David & Crotty, Karen. (2011). Low Health Literacy and Health Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review. Annals of internal medicine.
- Safer communities – Adult education helps reduce recidivism, prevent future crime costs, and improve community wellness. How to Unlock the Power of Prison Education. Stephen Steurer (2020)
- Increased civic engagement – Boosting adult literacy can help increase voter turnout – especially in local elections. How We Analyzed Literacy and Voter Turnout. ProPublica (2022)
- Opportunities to break multigenerational cycles of poverty – A parent’s literacy level is the single greatest predictor of a child’s future, outweighing other factors such as neighborhood and family income. National Institutes for Health. (2010). Improving mothers’ literacy skills may be best way to boost children’s achievement.
Where we go from here
Over the last 30 years, we’ve raised and provided more than $110 million in support for programs in low-literate communities across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. But this is just the start. Together, we can build a more literate America that is prepared to meet the challenges of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.
Learn more about OUR IMPACT.