According to new data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ most recent survey of adult abilities, the proportion of adults having literacy skills at the lowest measurable levels rose significantly as the gap between the high-skilled and low-skilled in the United States widens.
When the study was last conducted in 2017, 19% of American adults were classified as having the lowest literacy skills. That percentage rose to 28% in 2023, a shift that NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr described as significant during a press conference on Monday to announce the poll.
In particular, literacy is a really consistent notion, and it is larger than what we would often see in an international evaluation, she added.
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