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Despite spending the most money on education, the US ranks only seventh in literacy. 32 million adults in the US are functionally illiterate, making earning a living wage difficult. The link between illiteracy and criminal activity is well documented, with 85% of juvenile offenders and 63% of inmates unable to read. The most literate cities in the US are Minneapolis and Seattle, while the Nordic countries are the most literate in the world.
The United States spends more money on education than any other country, yet, according to a 2016 study by Central Connecticut State University, Americans are only seventh in the world in terms of literacy. Additionally, the US Department of Education estimates that 32 million adults in the United States cannot read, which equates to approximately 14% of the adult population classified as “functionally illiterate.” That means one in seven Americans lack the ability to read well enough to hold down a job or navigate everyday situations. Earning a living wage is much more difficult today without basic reading skills than it was in decades past.
Read it and cry:
The link between academic failure and criminal activity is well documented. Eighty-five percent of all juvenile offenders are functionally illiterate, and 63 percent of inmates cannot read.
ProLiteracy found that Minneapolis and Seattle are the most literate cities in the country. The group says 774 million people worldwide are illiterate and two-thirds of them are women.
The Central Connecticut State University study found that the Nordic countries are the most literate: Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden occupy the top five spots.
