The Ramifications of Illiteracy

 

Economic Impact

·         Illiteracy and low levels of literacy have estimated to cost the global economy approximately 1.19 trillion annually.

·         More than two billion adults worldwide don’t have the essential literacy skills employers need. Unemployment causes lost productivity which slows economic growth.

·         When a high proportion of the adult population has poor literacy skills, many positions remain vacant as insufficient individuals are adequately skilled to fulfill those roles.

 

Social Impact

·         Functionally illiterate parents often prioritize work before education and have lower expectations regarding schooling. This leads to a cycle of disadvantage through generations.

·         People completely or functional illiterate face the prospect of poor health outcomes, welfare dependency, gender inequality, and a lack of social cohesion.

·         There are currently 5.5 million more out-of-school girls than boys, worldwide. In the long term, this widens the gender gap.

 

Health Impact

·         Studies have shown the mother´s literacy level is closely related to child health and survival.

·         People with low levels of literacy are more likely to experience adverse health outcomes, have poor health literacy, and practice poor health behaviors.

·         Literacy significantly enhances a person’s ability to access, understand and apply health information to make accurate decisions.