National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003 (NAAL:2003), is a study that is part of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy program. NAAL:2003 (https://nces.ed.gov/naal/) is a cross-sectional assessment that collected information about English literacy among American adults age 16 and older. The study was conducted using direct assessment from 19,000 adults 16 or older, in their homes and some in prisons from the 50 states and District of Columbia. Households and prison inmates were sampled in 2003. The weighted response rate was 62.1 percent for households and 88.3 percent for prison inmates. Key statistics produced from NAAL:2003 include reading skills, general literacy, relationships, demographics, and background characteristics.

The National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) is administered by the Division of Adult Education and Literacy in the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education. Aggregated data, data from individual US states and territories, and narrative reports, all covering program years 2000-2022, were downloaded from https://nrs.ed.gov/ between 2025-02-06 and 2025-02-09. Aggregated reports were uploaded to Data Lumos as both regular files and a zipped folder; state data tables were only uploaded as a zipped folder, due to the high number of individual files. Total, there are 11,206 files and 628 folders in the entire dataset, due to the way it was structured on the original website.

The National Center for Education Statistics surveyed 12,330 U.S. adults ages 16 to 74 living in households from 2012 to 2017 for the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), an international study involving over 35 countries. Using small area estimation models (SAE), indirect estimates of literacy and numeracy proficiency have been produced for all U.S. states and counties. By using PIAAC survey data in conjunction with data from the American Community Survey, the Skills Map data provides reliable estimates of adult literacy and numeracy skills in all 50 states, all 3,141 counties, and the District of Columbia.

SAE is a model-dependent approach that produces indirect estimates for areas where survey data is inadequate for direct estimation. SAE models assume that counties with similar demographics would have similar estimates of skills. An estimate for a county then “borrows strength” across related small areas through auxiliary information to produce reliable indirect estimates for small areas. The models rely on covariates available at the small areas, and PIAAC survey data. In the absence of any other proficiency assessment data for individual states and counties, the estimates provide a general picture of proficiency for all states and counties. In addition to the indirect estimates, this website provides precision estimates and facilitates statistical comparisons among states and counties. For technical details on the SAE approach applied to PIAAC, see section 5 of the State and County Estimation Methodology Report.

The U.S. county indirect estimates reported in this data are not directly comparable with the direct estimates for PIAAC countries that are reported by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Specifically, the U.S. county indirect estimates (1) represent modeled estimates for adults ages 16-74 whereas the OECD’s direct estimates for participating countries represent estimates for adults ages 16-65, (2) include data for “literacy-related nonresponse” (i.e., adults whose English language skills were too low to participate in the study) whereas the OECD’s direct estimates for countries exclude these data, and (3) are based on three combined data collections (2012/2014/2017) whereas OECD’s direct estimates are based on a single data collection.

Please visit the Skills Map to learn more about this data.

In 2023, the share of women aged 15 or older who could read and write in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to 94.79 percent, around 0.33 percentage point lower than the literacy rate among adult men. This region's adult literacy rate averaged at 94.8 percent in 2023.

The Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey, 2003 (ALL), is an international comparative study designed to provide participating countries, including the United States, with information about the skills of their adult populations. ALL measured the literacy and numeracy skills of a nationally representative sample from each participating country.

There is a gender gap in the global literacy rate. Although literacy rates have generally increased worldwide for both men and women, men are on average more literate than women. As of 2023, about 90.6 percent of men and a little less than 84.1 percent of women worldwide were literate. Adult literacy rate is defined as the percentage of people aged 15 years and above who can both read and write with understanding a short, simple statement about their everyday life. Youth literacy rate Not only does the literacy gender gap concern adults, it also exists among the world’s younger generations aged 15 to 24. Despite an overall increase in literacy, young men are still more literate than young women. In fact, the global youth literacy rate as gender parity index was 0.98 as of 2023, indicating that young women are not yet as literate as young men. Gender pay gap Gender gaps occur in many different spheres of global society. One such issue concerns salary gender gaps in professional life. Regarding the controlled gender pay gap, which measures the median salary for men and women with the same job and qualifications, women still earned less than men as of 2024. The difference was even bigger when measuring the median salary for all men and women. However, not everyone worries about gender pay gaps. According to a survey from 2021, 54 percent of the female respondents deemed the gender pay gap a real problem, compared to 45 percent of the male respondents.

Data calculated for State of the Tropics 2014 report from original source :Barro and Lee Educational Attainment Dataset http://www.barrolee.com/

In 2023, the average adult literacy rates (15 years and older) in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to 94.79 percent. Literacy rates in Latin America and the Caribbean have been slightly improving in all three age groups since 2014.

The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) is a large-scale co-operative effort undertaken in 2003 and in some countries in 2006 to 2008, by governments, national statistics agencies, research institutions and multi-lateral agencies. The ALL study builds on the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), the world's first internationally comparative survey of adult skills undertaken in three rounds of data collection between 1994 and 1998. The main purpose of the survey was to find out how well adults used printed information to function in society. Survey data include background information (demographic, education, language, labour force, training, literacy uses, information and communication technology, income) and psychometric results of respondents' proficiency along four skill domains: prose and document literacy, numeracy and problem-solving. This data file is a compilation of the ALL datasets received for a group of seven countries or regions that collected data in 2003, they include Bermuda, Canada, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, the United States and the Mexican State of Nuevo Leon. Another group of three countries collected their data in 2006 or 2008. They include Hungary, Netherlands, New Zealand.

In the past five decades, the global literacy rate among adults has grown from 67 percent in 1976 to 87.36 percent in 2023. In 1976, males had a literacy rate of 76 percent, compared to a rate of 58 percent among females. This difference of over 17 percent in 1976 has fallen to just seven percent in 2020. Although gaps in literacy rates have fallen across all regions in recent decades, significant disparities remain across much of South Asia and Africa, while the difference is below one percent in Europe and the Americas. Reasons for these differences are rooted in economic and cultural differences across the globe. In poorer societies, families with limited means are often more likely to invest in their sons' education, while their daughters take up a more domestic role. Varieties do exist on national levels, however, and female literacy levels can sometimes exceed the male rate even in impoverished nations, such as Lesotho (where the difference was over 17 percent in 2014); nonetheless, these are exceptions to the norm.

The National Reporting System (NRS) for Adult Education, 2017-18 (NRS 2017-18) is a performance accountability system for the national adult education program that is authorized under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014. More information about the program is available at . NRS 2017-18 is a cross-sectional data collection that is designed to monitor performance accountability for the federally funded, state-administered adult education program. States are required to submit their progress in adult education and literacy activities by reporting data on the WIOA primary indicators of performance for all AEFLA program participants who receive 12 or more hours of service, as well as state expenditures on the adult education program. States may also report on additional, optional secondary measures that include outcomes related to employment, family, and community. The data collection is conducted using a web-based reporting system. NRS 2017-18 is a universe data collection activity, and all states are required to submit performance data. Key statistics that are produced from the data collection include student demographics, receipt of secondary school diploma or a high school equivalency (HSE) credential, placement in postsecondary education or training, measurable skill gain, and employment outcomes.

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• A recent study analyzing global health literacy research from 1995 to 2020 identified the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom as major contributors to the international collaboration network on health literacy.
• Mental health has been the most active research field in recent years in the context of health literacy.

It was estimated that from 2015 to 2020 around six percent of adults in the United States aged 45 years and older that had graduated from college had symptoms of subjective cognitive decline. This statistic depicts the percentage of U.S. adults aged 45 years and older with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) from 2015-2020, by highest education completed.

The National Reporting System for Adult Education, 2008-09 (NRS 2008-09), is part of the Adult Education and Family Literacy program; program data is available since 1997 at . NRS 2008-09 (http://www.nrsweb.org) is a cross-sectional study that was designed to monitor performance accountability for the federally funded, state-administered adult education program. States were required to submit their progress in adult education and literacy activities by reporting data on core indicators of outcomes on all adult learners who receive 12 or more hours of service as well as state expenditures on the adult education program. States could also report on additional, optional secondary measures that included outcomes related to employment, family, and community. The study was conducted using a web-based reporting system of states. NRS 2008-09 is a universe survey, and all states submitted data. Key statistics produced from the study include student demographics, reasons for attending the program, receipt of secondary school diploma or general education development (GED) certificate, placement in postsecondary education or training, educational gain, and employment placement and retention.

The National Reporting System for Adult Education, 2012-13 (NRS 2012-13), is part of the Adult Education and Family Literacy program; program data is available since 1997 at https://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/login.cfm. NRS 2012-13 (http://www.nrsweb.org) is a cross-sectional study that was designed to monitor performance accountability for the federally funded, state-administered adult education program. States were required to submit their progress in adult education and literacy activities by reporting data on core indicators of outcomes on all adult learners who receive 12 or more hours of service as well as state expenditures on the adult education program. States could also report on additional, optional secondary measures that included outcomes related to employment, family, and community. The study was conducted using a web-based reporting system of states. NRS 2012-13 is a universe survey, and all states submitted data. Key statistics produced from the study include student demographics, receipt of secondary school diploma or general education development (GED) certificate, placement in postsecondary education or training, educational gain, and employment placement and retention.

The National Reporting System for Adult Education, 2007-08 (NRS 2007-08), is part of the Adult Education and Family Literacy program; program data is available since 1997 at https://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/login.cfm. NRS 2007-08 (http://www.nrsweb.org) is a cross-sectional study that was designed to monitor performance accountability for the federally funded, state-administered adult education program. States were required to submit their progress in adult education and literacy activities by reporting data on core indicators of outcomes on all adult learners who receive 12 or more hours of service as well as state expenditures on the adult education program. States could also report on additional, optional secondary measures that included outcomes related to employment, family, and community. The study was conducted using a web-based reporting system of states. NRS 2007-08 is a universe survey, and all states submitted data. Key statistics produced from the study include student demographics, reasons for attending the program, receipt of secondary school diploma or general education development (GED) certificate, placement in postsecondary education or training, educational gain, and employment placement and retention.

The National Reporting System for Adult Education, 2005-06 (NRS 2005-06), is part of the Adult Education and Family Literacy program; program data is available since 1997 at https://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/login.cfm. NRS 2005-06 (http://www.nrsweb.org) is a cross-sectional study that was designed to monitor performance accountability for the federally funded, state-administered adult education program. States were required to submit their progress in adult education and literacy activities by reporting data on core indicators of outcomes on all adult learners who receive 12 or more hours of service as well as state expenditures on the adult education program. States could also report on additional, optional secondary measures that included outcomes related to employment, family, and community. The study was conducted using a web-based reporting system of states. NRS 2005-06 is a universe survey, and all states submitted data. Key statistics produced from the study include student demographics, reasons for attending the program, receipt of secondary school diploma or general education development (GED) certificate, placement in postsecondary education or training, educational gain, and employment placement and retention.

description: The National Reporting System for Adult Education, 2015-16 (NRS 2015-16), is part of the Adult Education and Family Literacy program; program data is available since 1997 at https://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/login.cfm. NRS 2015-16 (http://www.nrsweb.org) is a cross-sectional study that is designed to monitor performance accountability for the federally funded, state-administered adult education program. States will be required to submit their progress in adult education and literacy activities by reporting data on core indicators of outcomes on all adult learners who receive 12 or more hours of service as well as state expenditures on the adult education program. States can also report on additional, optional secondary measures that include outcomes related to employment, family, and community. The study will be conducted using a web-based reporting system of states. NRS 2015-16 is a universe survey, and all states are expected to submit data. Key statistics that will be produced from the study include student demographics, receipt of secondary school diploma or general education development (GED) certificate, placement in postsecondary education or training, educational gain, and employment placement and retention.; abstract: The National Reporting System for Adult Education, 2015-16 (NRS 2015-16), is part of the Adult Education and Family Literacy program; program data is available since 1997 at https://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OVAE/NRS/login.cfm. NRS 2015-16 (http://www.nrsweb.org) is a cross-sectional study that is designed to monitor performance accountability for the federally funded, state-administered adult education program. States will be required to submit their progress in adult education and literacy activities by reporting data on core indicators of outcomes on all adult learners who receive 12 or more hours of service as well as state expenditures on the adult education program. States can also report on additional, optional secondary measures that include outcomes related to employment, family, and community. The study will be conducted using a web-based reporting system of states. NRS 2015-16 is a universe survey, and all states are expected to submit data. Key statistics that will be produced from the study include student demographics, receipt of secondary school diploma or general education development (GED) certificate, placement in postsecondary education or training, educational gain, and employment placement and retention.

The National Household Education Survey (NHES) reports on the condition of education in the United States by collecting data at the household level rather than using a traditional, school-based data collection system. The surveys attempt to address many current issues in education, such as preprimary education, school safety and discipline, adult education, and activities related to citizenship.

This survey included three topical survey components.

• The Early Childhood Program Participation Survey addressed the nonparental care and program participation of preschool children, that is, children from birth through age six and not yet enrolled in kindergarten or higher grades. The survey collected information on all of the child's current, regular care arrangements, such as care by a relative or by someone not related to the child, in a private home as well as at a day care center or preschool, including Head Start. Information was collected about the number of hours per week or per month that the child received nonparental care, as well as parental perceptions of the factors associated with choosing such care. Other information was collected on topics such as educational activities at home, emerging literacy and numeracy, the child's characteristics (including health and disability status), and parent/guardian and household characteristics. Interviews were completed with parents of 7,209 preschool children.

• The After-School Programs and Activities Survey focused on children enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade who were aged 15 years or younger. Parents reported on the after-school arrangements in which their children participated, including care by relatives or nonrelatives in a private home, after-school programs in schools or centers, activities that might provide adult supervision in the after-school hours, and children's self-care. Other information includes reasons for choosing parental care, the child's characteristics (including health and disability status), and parent/guardian and household characteristics. Interviews were conducted with the parents of 11,684 students.

• The Adult Education Survey measured participation in the following types of formal educational activities: English as a Second Language (ESL), basic skills and General Education Development (GED) preparation courses, college or university degree or certificate programs, vocational or technical diploma programs, apprenticeship programs, courses or training for work-related reasons, and personal-interest classes or courses. In addition, information was collected on participation in informal learning activities for personal interest. The survey also gathered information on employer support for educational activities. Detailed information about educational attainment, employment, and household characteristics was also collected from both participants and nonparticipants. Adults aged 16 and older who were not enrolled in twelfth grade or below, who were noninstitutionalized, and who were not serving on active military duty were eligible for this survey. Interviews were completed with 8,904 respondents, 4,732 of whom had participated in formal educational activities in the past year and 4,172 of whom had not.

In 2023, the illiteracy rate among adults aged 15 years and older was almost 32 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa. In South Asia, the illiteracy rate was 25 percent. Adult illiteracy rate is defined as the percentage of the population aged 15 and older who can not read or write. Even though illiteracy continues to persist around the world, illiteracy levels have been reduced significantly over the past decades.