Over 200,000 adults in Detroit, Michigan are functionally illiterate, with half having a high school diploma. Illiteracy is linked to poverty and crime, with nearly half of those at literacy level one living below the poverty line. Globally, nearly 100 countries have a literacy rate of at least 90%.
Nearly half of the adults living in Detroit, Michigan, or more than 200,000 people, are functionally illiterate, meaning they are unable to do any reading, writing, or calculation beyond the most basic levels, such as writing a check or write your name. Of those 200,000 people, about half have a high school diploma.
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Nearly a quarter of Americans perform at the minimum of five literacy levels, meaning they can do at best simple tasks like spotting a time and date in a note or adding up a deposit slip, but not much else. Despite this, between 65 and 75 percent of those with entry-level literacy levels said they could read and write English “well” or “very well”.
There is a strong correlation between illiteracy, crime and poverty. Of those with literacy level one, nearly half live below the poverty line. Fewer than 5 percent of those at the highest literacy level live below the poverty line. Additionally, more than 60 percent of American inmates are functionally illiterate, and more than 70 percent cannot read above a fourth-grade level.
Globally, nearly 100 of the world’s approximately 195 countries have a literacy rate of at least 90%. Countries with the highest literacy rates include Georgia, Cuba, Estonia, Latvia, and Barbados, all of which have a literacy rate of over 99%.
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