Being able to read and write isn’t the only aspect of literacy.
Illiteracy can seriously affect a person’s intellectual and emotional development, making it hard for them to have a satisfying and successful adult life.
Data from the U.S. Department of Education analyzed by Gallup shows that around 130 million adults in the U.S. struggle with low literacy skills.
This means that 54% of Americans aged 16 to 74 read at a level lower than sixth grade.
Literacy Rate In The US Statistics
- In the US, 79% of adults are literate, while 21% are considered illiterate, according to data from the World Population Data on Literacy Statistics.
- Wisevoter reports a national literacy rate of 80.7% and an average numeracy rate of 70.8% in the US, with an average illiteracy rate of 19.3%.
- More than 43 million adults in the US struggle with reading or writing beyond a third-grade level.
- According to ProLiteracy, children of adults with low literacy skills are 72% more likely to have low reading levels in school.
- Adults with literacy below the 6th grade make up 54% of the population.
- The National Literacy Directory indicates that 14% of employed individuals in the US have low literacy skills.
- New Hampshire boasts the highest literacy rate at 88.5%, while New Mexico has the lowest adult literacy rate.
- 1 in 4 children in the US grows up without learning how to read, and 2 out of 3 students who struggle with reading by 4th grade end up on welfare or in jail.
- According to the National Center for Education Statistics, four out of five adults possess medium to high English literacy skills.
- 1 in 6 adults in the US lacks basic reading skills, and approximately 36 million adults have limited English, reading, or math skills.
- Of adults with low English literacy skills, 35% are white, 23% are black, 34% are Hispanic, and 5% are born outside the US.
- Reports indicate that 66% of average 4th-grade children in the US couldn’t read proficiently in 2013.
- Children with parents who have low literacy levels are 72% more likely to have low literacy themselves, perpetuating cycles of poverty and illiteracy, according to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
- A 1% increase in literacy scores leads to a 2.5% rise in labor productivity and a 1.5% increase in GDP.
- 1 in 3 adults in the US struggles with basic numeracy skills, such as understanding a transit schedule or operating a cash register.
- 23 million foreign-born US residents have limited English proficiency, according to data from LEP.
- According to US Literacy Facts reports, the low literacy rate in the US significantly impacts the healthcare industry, costing $70 million annually.
Child Literacy Rates by State (4th Grade)
| State | Rank (lower is better) | Students Not Reading Proficiently (%) | Lower Income Students Not Reading Proficiently (%) | Higher Income Students Not Reading Proficiently (%) | Improvement since 2003 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 35 | 69 | 82 | 51 | 12 |
| Alaska | 44 | 73 | 85 | 60 | -1 |
| Arizona | 40 | 72 | 85 | 57 | 6 |
| Arkansas | 32 | 68 | 78 | 54 | 6 |
| California | 43 | 73 | 85 | 54 | 8 |
| Colorado | 8 | 59 | 79 | 54 | 6 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 57 | 81 | 43 | 0 |
| Delaware | 13 | 62 | 75 | 48 | 7 |
| District of Columbia | 45 | 77 | 87 | 39 | 14 |
| Florida | 12 | 61 | 73 | 42 | 10 |
| Georgia | 26 | 66 | 79 | 47 | 10 |
| Hawaii | 37 | 70 | 83 | 57 | 11 |
| Idaho | 31 | 67 | 78 | 56 | 4 |
| Illinois | 28 | 66 | 84 | 48 | 4 |
| Indiana | 14 (tied) | 62 | 75 | 49 | 7 |
| Iowa | 16 | 62 | 77 | 52 | 5 |
| Kansas | 14 (tied) | 62 | 78 | 46 | 7 |
| Kentucky | 21 | 64 | 77 | 49 | 7 |
| Louisiana | 46 | 77 | 85 | 58 | 4 |
| Maine | 19 (tied) | 63 | 76 | 52 | 2 |
| Maryland | 2 | 55 | 76 | 42 | 19 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 53 | 75 | 38 | 12 |
| Michigan | 34 | 69 | 81 | 58 | -1 |
| Minnesota | 9 | 59 | 77 | 48 | 6 |
| Mississippi | 47 | 79 | 85 | 58 | 4 |
| Missouri | 23 | 65 | 77 | 51 | 2 |
| Montana | 24 | 65 | 78 | 54 | 0 |
| Nebraska | 19 (tied) | 63 | 77 | 51 | 7 |
| Nevada | 42 | 73 | 83 | 56 | 9 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 55 | 76 | 47 | 8 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 58 | 78 | 44 | 5 |
| New Mexico | 48 | 79 | 85 | 61 | 2 |
| New York | 18 | 63 | 77 | 47 | 5 |
| North Carolina | 22 | 65 | 78 | 47 | 3 |
| North Dakota | 29 | 66 | 78 | 60 | 3 |
| Ohio | 17 | 63 | 80 | 48 | 5 |
| Oklahoma | 36 | 70 | 79 | 57 | 5 |
| Oregon | 30 | 67 | 79 | 50 | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 60 | 77 | 45 | 10 |
| Rhode Island | 15 | 62 | 81 | 45 | 13 |
| South Carolina | 39 | 72 | 83 | 54 | 3 |
| South Dakota | 33 | 68 | 82 | 58 | -1 |
| Tennessee | 27 | 66 | 82 | 48 | 11 |
| Texas | 38 | 72 | 83 | 53 | -1 |
| Utah | 20 (tied) | 63 | 76 | 54 | 7 |
| Vermont | 6 | 58 | 74 | 46 | 8 |
| Virginia | 4 | 57 | 79 | 44 | 12 |
| Washington | 11 | 60 | 77 | 47 | 10 |
| West Virginia | 41 | 73 | 76 | 63 | -3 |
| Wisconsin | 25 | 65 | 80 | 53 | 3 |
| Wyoming | 20 (tied) | 63 | 76 | 54 | 5 |
| Average | 24 | 66 | 80 | 49 | 6 |
Child Literacy in The United States 2024 Statistics
- According to the Digest of Education Statistics for 2018, the majority of fourth—and eighth-graders in the US today show improved literacy rates compared to 2008.
- Cognitive processes in children develop rapidly in the early years, with 85% of the brain fully developed by age 3.
- In the US, only 35% of public school students are proficient in fourth-grade reading.
- 72% of students with parents having low literacy skills are likely to have low reading levels.
- The Children’s Reading Foundation reports that 2 out of 10 children start elementary school without grade-level proficiency.
- According to the NCES, 34% of fourth-grade students lack basic reading skills.
- Reports from the Children’s Reading Foundation indicate that students behind in literacy only make one year’s worth of progress at each grade level, increasing the likelihood of grade repetition.
- Approximately 1.2 million teens, or one in six high school students, drop out each year, according to ProLiteracy.
- Childhood illiteracy can stem from various factors, such as parental illiteracy, lack of parental involvement in education due to financial constraints, and nonnative status.
- Children with low literacy rates are prone to poor academic performance, absenteeism, and behavioral problems, which can lead to low self-esteem and isolation.
- Low literacy rates contribute to unemployment and low-paying jobs, with illiterate individuals earning 35% less than literate ones.
- Individuals with poor reading skills are more likely to end up in jail or on welfare, with approximately 85% of young offenders being completely illiterate.
- Low literacy costs the US an estimated $225 billion annually in lost workforce productivity, crime, and welfare expenses.
- Massachusetts, Maryland, and New Hampshire have the highest literacy rates among US states, while New Mexico, California, and Texas have lower rates.
Child Literacy Rate and Reading Proficiency
| State | Rank | Students with Low Reading Proficiency (%) |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 53% |
| Maryland | 2 | 55% |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 55% |
| Virginia | 4 | 57% |
| Connecticut | 5 | 57% |
| Vermont | 6 | 58% |
| New Jersey | 7 | 58% |
| Colorado | 8 | 59% |
| Minnesota | 9 | 59% |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 60% |
Adult Literacy Statistics In the US
- 3 out of 5 inmates in American prisons are illiterate, and 85% of young offenders struggle with reading.
- Approximately 50% of Americans have reading skills so poor that they cannot complete simple tasks like reading prescription drug labels.
- The US ranks twelfth in a study of literacy across 20 “high-income” nations.
- The problem of illiteracy in the US is severe, with 44 million adults currently unable to read a simple story to their children.
- 50% of adults struggle to read books appropriate for eighth grade, and 45 million people read at a fifth-grade level or below, indicating functional illiteracy.
- 44% of adults in the US don’t read a book in a year, and 3 out of 4 welfare recipients are illiterate.
- 20% of Americans are illiterate, which hampers their ability to earn a living wage.
- Between the ages of 16 and 21, 50% of unemployed individuals are not functionally literate in reading.
- Due to their inability to read, 46 to 51% of American adults have incomes significantly below the poverty line.
- The estimated annual cost of illiteracy to American taxpayers is $20 billion.
- The median rate of adult literacy in the US is 88%.
- Only 2% of adults worldwide are proficient readers.
- Reading comprehension in the US typically ranges from 7th to 8th grade level.
- Approximately 4% of Americans (or 3% of the world’s population) are functionally illiterate.
- 14% of Americans have below-basic reading and writing skills, while 34% have fundamental skills, and 39% have intermediate skills.
- Adults with low literacy skills make up 34% of the US population.
- Among those with poor English literacy skills, 35% are White, 23% are Black, and 34% are Hispanic.
- Adults with low literacy skills account for 34% of the US population.
Top 10 States with Highest Literacy Rates
| State | Literacy Rate | Numeracy Rate | Illiteracy Rate | % of the population with a bachelor’s degree |
| New Hampshire | 88.5% | 80.9% | 11.5% | 24.5% |
| Alaska | 87.3% | 79.2% | 12.7% | 20.9% |
| Vermont | 87.2% | 79% | 12.8% | 26% |
| Minnesota | 86.9% | 79.6% | 13.1% | 25.5% |
| Montana | 86.9% | 77.3% | 13.1% | 22.4% |
| Maine | 86.6% | 77.1% | 13.4% | 22.2% |
| North Dakota | 86.6% | 79% | 13.4% | 22.4% |
| Wyoming | 86.4% | 77.5% | 13.6% | 18.5% |
| Utah | 85.5% | 77.7% | 14.5% | 24.1% |
| Iowa | 85.1% | 77% | 14.9% | 20.7% |
Top 10 States with the Lowest Literacy Rates
| State | Literacy Rates | Numeracy Rate | Illiteracy Rate | Population with a bachelor’s degree |
| New Mexico | 70.9% | 60.5% | 29.1% | 16% |
| California | 71.6% | 64% | 28.4% | 22.1% |
| Texas | 71.8% | 61.5% | 28.2% | 21.2% |
| Mississippi | 72% | 56.6% | 28% | 15.4% |
| Louisiana | 72.9% | 58.4% | 27.1% | 16.8% |
| Nevada | 74.7% | 63.5% | 25.3% | 17.9% |
| New York | 75.6% | 65.3% | 24.4% | 22.2% |
| Alabama | 76.1% | 62.6% | 23.9% | 16.6% |
| Florida | 76.3% | 65.2% | 23.7% | 20.6% |
| Georgia | 76.4% | 63.4% | 23.4% | 20.9% |
