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Literacy Facts
Since its inception in 1990, ABC CANADA has worked to
improve the literacy skills of Canadians. We do this
by managing programs that encourage literacy
activities, conducting research that sheds light on
literacy practice, developing public-awareness
campaigns that educate the general public on literacy
issues and direct those who require literacy skills
upgrading to literacy organizations that provide that
service.
Low literacy is a fact in Canada, and it is more
wide-spread than many would presume. Statistics
Canada, the Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD), Human
Resources and Skills Development Canada, and the US
National Center for Education Statistics have
conducted research that indicates the literacy
proficiency of Canadians. These statistics create a
revealing picture of the literacy levels scored by
Canadians - by province and territory, and
nationally.
To view the most recent literacy results,
consult:
The fact of low literacy impacts sectors of
our society and the economy. For statistics
pertaining to this, please see:
Adult
Literacy in Canada
More of a problem than many realize
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Four out of 10 adult Canadians, age 16 to 65 -
representing 9 million Canadians - struggle with
low literacy. (Adult Literacy and Life Skills
(ALL) Survey, Statistics
Canada and the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development, 2005)
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Considering those adult Canadians with low
literacy, 15 per cent have serious problems dealing
with any printed materials; an additional 27 per
cent can only deal with simple reading tasks.
(Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey,
2005)
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Five provinces and territories - Newfoundland and
Labrador, PEI, New Brunswick,
Quebec and Nunavut - have more people with low
literacy than the national average. The Yukon,
British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan have
fewer people with low literacy. (International
Adult Literacy and Skills Survey
(IALSS), Statistics Canada,
the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), Human
Resources and Skills Development Canada, and the US
National Center for Education Statistics, 2005)
-
While the performance of the three western
provinces is relatively better than in other
regions of the country, four out of 10 people in
those provinces still fall in the low-literacy
range. (International Adult Literacy and Skills
Survey (IALSS), 2005)
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As you go across the country, the percentage of
Canadians 16 and over with the lowest literacy
skills range from 14 per cent to 24 per cent, with
Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Quebec
having the highest percentages. This position has
persisted from 1994 statistics to these most recent
2003 statistics. (International Adult Literacy
and Skills Survey (IALSS),
2005)
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Though the majority of Canadian youth, age 16 to
25, attain the minimum level of literacy skills
needed to cope with the demands of everyday life
and work, anywhere from 18 per cent to 38 per cent
of youth, depending upon the region of the country,
do not attain that minimum proficiency.
(International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey
(IALSS), 2005)
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Sixty per cent of immigrants have low literacy,
compared with 37 per cent of native-born Canadians.
(International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey
(IALSS), 2005)
Barriers to learning involve programs, policies,
socio-economic factors
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Less than half of those who contact a literacy
organization actually enroll in a program and of
those who enroll, 30 per cent drop out.
(Patterns of Participation in Canadian Literacy
and Upgrading Programs, ABC CANADA in
partnership with Literacy BC, 2001)
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Forty-three per cent of those who don't enroll in a
program cite program and policy-related issues as
barriers, such as the program contact person not
calling them back, long waiting lists and
inconvenient times. (Patterns of
Participation)
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Dramatic regional variances in program delivery
exist. For example, more than one third have no
full-time staff; more than two-thirds have one or
less full-time staff; and close to 40 per cent are
open less than 35 hours per week. This circumstance
suggests there is need for greater funding and for
significant infrastructural change. (Patterns
of Participation)
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The most highly ranked set of concerns about taking
a course are about money/conflict with paid
employment and the distant location of the program
offered, followed by program-related concerns such
as program length, level of difficulty, concerns
about the ability to work at one's own pace and
relevance of content. (Non-Participation in
Literacy and Upgrading Programs, ABC CANADA,
2002)
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Less than 10 per cent of Canadians who could
benefit from literacy upgrading programs actually
enroll. Research indicates that barriers like job
or money problems, lack of childcare and
transportation are some of reasons preventing
people from enrolling. (Who Wants to
Learn?, ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation, 2001)
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Barriers to participation represent challenges to
policy makers (to mitigate financial problems and
enhance opportunities related to family
circumstances, such as providing childcare and
eldercare), employers and unions (to provide for
upgrading opportunities) and the literacy field (to
restructure where needed and address the
misunderstandings and nervousness potential
participants may harbour).
(Non-Participation)
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Among non-high school graduates interviewed, close
to 60 per cent said they thought about taking
upgrading or completing their high school diploma
while only 20 per cent thought they would actually
take a program in the next five years.
(Non-Participation)
Low literacy impacts personal growth and economic
well-being
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There is a correlation between literacy and wage
levels in Canada. A Statistics Canada study
indicates that each additional year of education a
person receives is worth 8.3 per cent on their
paycheque. Using an annual base salary of $30,000,
this amounts to an additional $2,490 per year.
(Literacy, Numeracy and Labour Market Outcomes
in Canada, Statistics Canada, 2001)
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The 9 million Canadian adults who have low literacy
are about twice as likely to be unemployed.
(International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey
(IALSS), 2005)
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A rise of one per cent in literacy scores relative
to the international average is associated with an
eventual 2.5 per cent relative rise in labour
productivity and a 1.5 per cent rise in Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) per
person. ("Literacy scores, human capital and growth
across 14 OECD countries," Serge
Coulombe, Jean-François Tremblay and Sylvie
Marchand, Statistics Canada, 2004)
At ABC CANADA we believe that one of the keys to
developing a competitive and stable economy is to
ensure that Canadians are continually learning. One
of our jobs is to make Canadians aware of the
opportunities that await them as they enter into a
life of learning. We are also committed to connecting
Canadians with literacy programs through ABC CANADA's
Look Under LEARN campaign with toll-free
numbers listed in all Yellow Pages™ directories
across Canada, connecting learners with literacy
organizations in their own communities.
Use it or lose it
A Statistics Canada report, Literacy Skills for
the Knowledge Society (1997), also underscores
these themes:
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Literacy skills are like muscles - they are
maintained and strengthened through regular use;
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The higher an individual's literacy level, the
more likely he/she will be employed and have a
higher income;
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Canadians use their literacy skills more in the
workplace than at home;
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'Good' jobs are those that provide opportunities
to maintain and enhance literacy skills.
Literacy Lingo
These commonly used words and phrases are the
preferred ways to communicate information about
literacy.
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Use "low literacy skills" instead of "illiterate."
The term "illiterate" is no longer used in literacy
circles as it denotes an extremely small percentage
of people who would not be able to recognize any
words whatsoever.
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Use "low literacy skills" instead of "lack of
literacy skills."
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"Literacy" = Grade 8 or under
"Upgrading" = Grade 9 or over
Taken together, they are known as "adult basic
education"
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Use "adult basic education" instead of "adult
education"
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Refer to "people with literacy needs" or "people
with literacy challenges/difficulties"
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When speaking to potential learners, refer to
"reading, writing and math skills" not "literacy
skills"
Literacy Definition
"The ability to understand and employ printed
information in daily activities at home, at work and
in the community - to achieve one's goals, and to
develop one's knowledge and potential." (Literacy
Skills for the Knowledge Society: Further Results
from the International Adult Literacy Survey,
Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development, Human Resources Development Canada and
the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada, 1997)
Literacy Levels
Level 1 - People who have difficulty
with printed materials and identify themselves as
unable to read.
Level 2 - People who can use printed
materials for limited purposes such as finding a
familiar word in a simple text.
Level 3 - People who can use reading
materials in a variety of situations providing it is
simple, clearly laid out and the tasks involved are
not too complex. The minimum skills level suitable
for coping with the demands of everyday life and work
in a complex, advanced society. It denotes roughly
the skills level required for successful secondary
school completion and college entry.
PEOPLE WHO DO NOT ACHIEVE LEVEL 3 ARE DEEMED
TO HAVE LOW LITERACY.
Levels 4 and 5 - People who
demonstrate a command of higher-order
information-processing skills.
Literacy Links
Statistical information on the
Web
Page last updated: 11 May 2006
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