Almost half of Australians have literacy skills which would make it difficult to function in everyday life

‘Almost half of Australians have literacy skills which would make it difficult to function in everyday life ‘summarises the results of research from the ABS Survey of Aspects of Literacy 1996, on literacy and numeracy skills in the Australian population (including literacy in the employed population), the trend towards increased demand for literacy/numeracy in employment, and how Australia compares internationally. 

It is part of a series of DEST Analytical Snapshots summarising current research on key issues in an easy-to-access format.  The Snapshots cover aspects of adult literacy, women’s participation in education and work, and young people’s transition from education to work.  Further fact sheets in the Snapshot series are under development.