Today is International Literacy Day (ILD)! This special day started in 1967 to remind the public around the world about the importance of literacy and education as a human right. Promoting literacy means helping adults and young people unlock opportunities to a better future. ILD reminds us about the work we need to do for a more sustainable1 and equitable2 society.
International Literacy Day (ILD) is an opportunity to honor those are dedicated to making literacy a reality for the many.
47% of immigrants in the United States are not proficient in English.
Over 42 million American adults have literacy difficulties which include reading, writing, and doing basic math above a third-grade level.
The United States has the largest immigrant population of the world. 1 in 5 of the world’s immigrants are living in the U.S.
75% of incarcerated individuals in the U.S. did not complete high school or possess3 low-literacy skills.
According to UNESCO’s survey of 102 countries, less than 4% of the national education budget is set especially for adult literacy and education.
Awareness about literacy and educational funding for adults can help close the literacy gap4. If every adult in the U.S. could read at a sixth-grade reading level, it would create an additional $2.2 trillion in economic growth per year. International Literacy Day is a reminder to everyone about the world’s literacy goal and the benefits of literacy that should be afforded to all.
Sources: UNESCO and ProLiteracy
- sustainable /səˈsteɪnəbəl/ adjective
able to last or continue for a long time ↩︎ - equitable /ˈɛkwətəbəl/ adjective
just or fair : dealing fairly and equally with everyone ↩︎ - possess /pəˈzɛs/ verb
to have or show (a particular quality, ability, skill, etc.) ↩︎ - gap /ˈgæp/ noun
a space between two people or things; a missing part ↩︎