The following lists statistics regarding literacy and aliteracy from a variety of authoritative sources:

U.S. Students Who Read for Fun on Their Own Time, by Race and Ethnicity
Chart from the Pew Research Center article "Among many U.S. children, reading for fun has go less mutual, federal data shows" by Katherine Schaeffer. November 12, 2021.

"The shares of American 9- and 13-twelvemonth-olds who say they read for fun on an almost daily basis have dropped from virtually a decade agone and are at the lowest levels since at to the lowest degree the mid-1980s, according to a survey conducted in late 2022 and early 2022 by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Among both age groups, the percentages who said in the 2019-20 school year that they 'read for fun on [their] ain time most every day' were at their lowest points since the question was offset asked in 1984, according to the survey, which was fielded among U.S. public and individual school students before the COVID-nineteen outbreak. Information technology is unclear whether the pandemic may have changed these patterns." – Pew Research Centre, "Among many U.South. children, reading for fun has become less common, federal data shows," Nov 2021.

The 2013 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reading test results demonstrate that far too many young people continue to read beneath course level. Sixty five percent of all U.S. fourth graders scored "below proficient," which means that they are not reading at grade level. Only 35 percent of fourth graders are reading at or above grade level. In add-on, 64 percentage of eighth graders are reading below grade level, whereas 36 percentage are reading at or higher up grade level. Still, these statistics do show an comeback at both class levels. In 1992, 72 percent of 4th graders and 71 per centum of eighth graders were reading below grade level.  – U.S. Department of Education, "The Nation's Study Card," 2013.

In the United States, 14 percent of the adult population—a staggering 32 million adults—cannot read.  "What's more than shocking is that we haven't moved that needle in 10 years.  We know that literacy helps people escape the bonds of poverty and live longer.  We know that people who are literate are more inclined to vote, take part in their community, and seek medical help for themselves and their families. They're too better equipped to have reward of knowledge jobs, which are growing at explosive rates."  – Marcie Craig Mail, Executive Managing director of International Literacy Association, in a console word at the Institute of International Education in New York Urban center, April 2015.

"Over the past four decades, the share of jobs requiring some grade of postsecondary education continued to rise, while the literacy operation of American 13- and seventeen-year-olds remained flat, according to the National Cess of Educational Progress (NAEP).  More 60 percent of twelfth-grade students scored beneath the skilful level in reading achievement, and 27 pct scored beneath the basic level in reading. This means these lowest-performing high schoolhouse seniors practise non even have partial mastery of the appropriate grade-level knowledge and skills.

Low reading achievement does not every bit affect all students. More than a third of Hispanic and African American twelfth graders read beneath bones level. Many students who struggle to read and write well make upward a substantial portion of the 1.two million students who leave high school each year without a diploma. The consequences for the private and the costs to the nation are staggering in terms of lost wages and earnings over a lifetime. Estimates for dropouts, who typically accept low literacy skills, are on the order of well-nigh $335 billion per yr. For those who gain entry into the workplace, private industry spends an estimated $three.one billion annually to bolster the literacy skills of entry-level workers." – Mariana Hayes, Alliance for Excellent Education, "Nativity-Through-Course-Twelve Comprehensive Literacy Program" published on All4ed.org website, Apr 2015.

"The above-boilerplate operation of U.S. students on international comparisons does non necessarily mean that their literacy skills are adequate or satisfactory for the demands of the modern economy and modern commonwealth. …about two-thirds of all students exercise not attain proficiency in knowledge-based literacy and comprehension skills by the end of center schoolhouse. To the extent that high school success, also as later on educational and economical success, depends on the acquisition of these college-order skills in middle school, many U.S. students enter high school in demand of substantial comeback in literacy." – Sean Reardon, Rachel Valentino, and Kenneth Shores in "Patterns of Literacy amid U.Southward. Students" in "Literacy Challenges for the Twenty-Offset Century," The Future of Children, Volume 22, Number ii, Fall 2012.

"…about 2-thirds of fourth graders, three-fourths of eighth graders, and three-fourths of twelfth graders were reading at a "bones" level in 2011. About one-third of students at each grade level were reading at a "proficient" level. Over the past forty years literacy skills scores on assessment tests accept non improved much—in sharp contrast to sizable increases in math scores over this same period. The gaps in literacy skills by socioeconomic status and race are striking. Throughout elementary and middle school, girls consistently score about 0.2 standard deviation to a higher place boys; the black-white and Hispanic-white gaps are each about 0.6 standard deviation; and the income gap (10th vs. 90th percentile of family income) is larger still. – Richard Murnane, Isabel Sawhill, and Catherine Snow in "Literacy Challenges for the Twenty-First Century: Introducing the Consequence," The Futurity of Children, Book 22, Number two, Fall 2012.

Readers play a more active and involved role in their communities. The decline in reading, therefore, parallels a larger retreat from participation in civic and cultural life. The long-term implication of this written report not just affects literature but all the arts – too equally social activities such as volunteerism, philanthropy, and even political engagement. – Dana Gioia, Chairman, NEA, "Reading at Take a chance: A Survey of Literary Reading in America," June 2004.

The literacy proficiency of a substantial proportion of the U.S. labor force is limited, and but a modest proportion of workers perform at a high literacy level. Workers with higher literacy scores are unemployed less and earn more than than workers with lower literacy scores. Growth in teaching has historically been an of import source of growth in worker productivity. – "Report on Education and the Economy," National Eye for Instruction Statistics, 1996.

Less than half of the adult American population now reads literature. (Literature is defined equally novels, short stories, plays and/or poetry.)  –NEA, "Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America," June 2004.

The per centum of the U.S. adult population reading any books has declined past seven percent over the past decade. – NEA, "Reading at Adventure: A Survey of Literary Reading in America," June 2004.

Of adults xviii to 24 years of historic period, the literary reading rate decreased from nearly 60 percent in 1982 to 43 pct in 2002 – a drop of 17 per centum points. Young adults are reading much less than they used to. Making literary reading appeal to teenagers also appears to be a significant trouble. Long-term reading assessments, summarized by the National Constitute for Literacy, show that:

  • A smaller percentage of 13- and 17-year-olds read for fun daily in 1999 than in 1984.
  • A smaller percent of 17-year-olds saw adults reading in their homes in 1999 than in 1984.

– NEA, "Reading at Take a chance: A Survey of Literary Reading in America," June 2004.

Reading proficiency scores for 9, thirteen, and 17 yr olds have not significantly risen since 1971. – U.S. Department of Education, "Assimilate of Education Statistics," 1998.

According to the contempo findings of iii statewide studies in Colorado, Alaska, and Pennsylvania, strong library media centers and programs assist students learn more than and score essentially higher on standardized accomplishment tests than their peers in library impoverished schools.

Literature now competes with an enormous array of electronic media. While no unmarried activity is responsible for the reject of reading, the cumulative presence and availability of these alternatives take increasingly fatigued Americans away from reading. – NEA, "Reading at Take chances: A Survey of Literary Reading in America," June 2004.

The average kid spends near 38 hours a calendar week exposed to media outside of school. – Children'south Defence Fund, "State of America'south Children," 2000.