Indicators of Sustainable Development

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Indicator: Adult literacy/numeracy C2
Adult literacy and numeracy levels: 2002-3  
Indicator Chart
Note: The definitions used here are not directly comparable with those used in 1996
Change since
dots 1970
dots 1990
dots 1996

Coverage: England

Source: DfES

Adult prose, document and quantitative literacy levels: 1996  
Indicator Chart

Coverage: United Kingdom

Source: ONS

Percentage of those at prose level 1 and 2 who 'often' or 'sometimes' required help with different tasks: 1996  
Indicator Chart

Coverage: United Kingdom

Source: ONS

Objective: Raise educational standards at all levels and close the widening gap between high and low achievers
  • Figures from a 2002-3 survey of adult literacy and numeracy in England show that about 16 per cent of respondents were assessed to have a relatively low level of literacy (entry level 3 or below). The proportion assessed to have relatively low numeracy was 47 per cent.
  • In a one-off survey in 1996, over a fifth of all adults of working age in the UK were estimated to have low literary and numeracy skills. Prose, document and quantitative literacy were measured. The two surveys are not comparable so it has not been possible to make an assessment of progress.

Page last modified: 21 April 2004  |  Page published: 21 April 2004