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Facts about literacy

Low literacy limits life chances, regardless of how it is defined or measured. Basic skills and literacy abilities are widely viewed as necessary preconditions for lifelong learning and the development of human capital among individuals, families, communities, and even nations. Indeed the social costs of low levels of literacy can be substantial: these include higher rates of incarceration, welfare dependency, and medical costs associated with malnutrition, illness, and infant mortality. Even within developed nations, low levels of literacy represent a potential threat to the economic well being of individuals and society.

For more information on adult literacy visit the National Assessments of Adult Literacy (NAAL) home page.