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The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) was a 22-country initiative conducted between 1994 and 1998. In every country, nationally representative samples of adults aged between 16-65 were interviewed and tested at home, using the same literacy test. The main purpose of the survey was to find out how well adults use information to function in society. Another aim was to investigate the factors that influence literacy proficiency and to compare these among countries. The results are reported in three scales, each ranging from 0-500: a prose scale, a document scale, and a quantitative scale. Each scale is then divided into five levels: Level 1 (0-225), Level 2 (226-275), Level 3 (276-325), Level 4 (326-375), and Level 5 (376-500).
The International Adult Literacy Survey, 1994-95, found the following international comparisons of the prose literacy levels of the adult population, aged 16-65:
Level 1 - 20.7% in the United States, compared to:
- 42.6% - Poland
- 22.6% - Ireland
- 21.8% - United Kingdom
- 19.3% - Switzerland (German)
- 18.4% - Belgium (Flanders)
- 18.4% - New Zealand
- 17.6% - Switzerland (French)
- 17.0% - Australia
- 16.6% - Canada
- 14.4% - Germany
- 10.5% - Netherlands
- 7.5% - Sweden
Level 2 - 25.9% in the United States, compared to:
- 35.7% - Switzerland (German)
- 34.5% - Poland
- 34.2% - Germany
- 33.7% - Switzerland (French)
- 30.3% - United Kingdom
- 30.1% - Netherlands
- 29.8% - Ireland
- 28.2% - Belgium (Flanders)
- 27.3% - New Zealand
- 27.1% - Australia
- 25.6% - Canada
- 20.3% - Sweden
Level 3 - 32.4% in the United States, compared to:
- 44.1% - Netherlands
- 39.7% - Sweden
- 39.0% - Belgium (Flanders)
- 38.6% - Switzerland (French)
- 38.0% - Germany
- 36.9% - Australia
- 36.1% - Switzerland (German)
- 35.1% - Canada
- 35.0% - New Zealand
- 34.1% - Ireland
- 31.3% - United Kingdom
- 19.8% - Poland
Level 4/5 - 21.1% in the United States, compared to:
- 32.4% - Sweden
- 22.7% - Canada
- 19.2% - New Zealand
- 18.9% - Australia
- 16.6% - United Kingdom
- 15.3% - Netherlands
- 14.3% - Belgium (Flanders)
- 13.5% - Ireland
- 13.4% - Germany
- 10.0% - Switzerland (French)
- 8.9% - Switzerland (German)
- 3.1% - Poland
(OECD, p151)
The mean prose literacy score of:
- 26-35 year olds was 275 (Level 2), which ranked them 11th (tie) out of 19 countries,
- 36-45 year olds was 284 (Level 3), which ranked them 5th,
- 46-55 year olds was 277 (Level 3), which ranked them 3rd, and
- 56-65 year olds was 266 (Level 2), which ranked them 2nd.
(Sum, 2002, p16, Table 8)
The mean prose literacy score of the U.S. population age 16-25 was 277.9 (Level 3). This can be compared with other countries as follows:
Level 2 (226-275)
- Chile 240.1,
- Poland 251.8,
- Hungary 258.8,
- Portugal 259.6,
- Slovenia 266.7,
- United Kingdom 273.5, and
- Italy 275.2.
Level 3 (276-325)
- New Zealand 276.8,
- Ireland 277.7,
- U.S. 277.9
- Czech Republic 280.5,
- Switzerland 283.2,
- Denmark 283.4,
- Australia 283.6,
- Germany 283.6,
- Canada 286.9,
- Belgium (Flanders) 292.4,
- Netherlands 293.5,
- Norway 300.4,
- Sweden 312.1, and
- Finland 312.8.
(Tuijnman, p14)
The mean prose literacy score of the U.S. population age 26-65 was 276.5 (Level 3). This can be compared with other countries as follows:
Level 1 (0-225)
- Portugal 209.4,
- Chile 214.0,
- Slovenia 221.3, and
- Poland 223.1.
Level 2 (226-275)
- Italy 236.7,
- Hungary 237.4,
- Switzerland 259.6,
- Ireland 260.9,
- United Kingdom 265.0,
- Czech Republic 266.1,
- Belgium (Flanders) 266.6,
- Australia 271.4,
- Denmark 273.1,
- Germany 274.3, and
- New Zealand 274.7.
Level 3 (276-325)
- U.S. 276.5
- Canada 276.9,
- Netherlands 279.8,
- Finland 283.0,
- Norway 285.5, and
- Sweden 298.2
(Tuijnman, p18)
In the IALS assessment, 1994-98, the mean prose literacy scores of U.S. adults with:
- none to primary education, ranked 14th out of 18 high-income countries;
- some high school, but no diploma or GED, ranked 19th out of 19 high-income countries;
- a high school diploma or GED (but no college), ranked 18th (tie) out of 19 countries;
- 1-3 years of college, ranked 15th out of 19 countries; and
- a bachelor's degree or higher, ranked 5th.
(Sum, 2002, p19, Table 11)
The mean prose literacy score of adults in the U.S., age 16-65, with less than an upper secondary education was 207.1 (Level 1). This compares to:
Level 1 (0-225)
Level 2 (226-275)
- Switzerland (German) 227.3,
- Switzerland (French) 228.1,
- Canada 233.4,
- Ireland 238.8,
- Belgium (Flanders) 242.5,
- United Kingdom 247.9.
- Australia 250.6,
- New Zealand 252.1,
- Netherlands 257.5,
- Germany 265.6, and
- Sweden 275.4
(OECD, p152)
The mean prose literacy score of adults in the U.S., age 16-65, who completed upper secondary education was 270.7 (Level 2). This compares to:
Level 2 (226-275)
- Poland 252.7,
- U.S. 270.7
- Switzerland (German) 273.4, and
- Switzerland (French) 274.1.
Level 3 (276-325)
- Australia 280.0,
- Belgium (Flanders) 281.0,
- United Kingdom 281.9,
- Canada 283.8,
- Germany 283.8,
- Ireland 288.2,
- New Zealand 290.6,
- Netherlands 297.0, and
- Sweden 302.3
(OECD, p152)
The mean prose literacy level of adults in the U.S., age 16-65 with some tertiary level education, was 308.4 (Level 3). This compares to:
Level 3 (276-325)
- Poland 277.3,
- Switzerland (German) 288.9,
- Switzerland (French) 298.3,
- New Zealand 307.3,
- Ireland 308.3,
- U.S. 308.4
- United Kingdom 309.5,
- Germany 310.1,
- Australia 310.4 ,
- Netherlands 312.1,
- Belgium (Flanders) 312.3, and
- Canada 314.8
Level 4 (326-375)
The percentage of United States respondents in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) 1994-95, that read a book at least once a week was
- 32.4% of respondents with a primary education or less,
- 43.2% of respondents with a lower secondary education,
- 46.4% of respondents with an upper secondary education,
- 60.8% of respondents with an non-university tertiary education, and
- 61.4% of respondents with a university education.
(OECD, p178)
The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) 1994-98, found the following comparisons of the prose literacy levels of the adult population aged 16-65:
- 14.0% of the native-born population were at Level 1, compared to 63.7% of the second-language foreign born;
- 27.3% were at Level 2, compared to 17.0% of the second-language foreign born;
- 35.0% were at Level 3, compared to 13.5% of the second-language foreign born; and
- 23.7% were at Level 4/5, compared to 5.9% (unreliable) of the second-language
foreign born.
(Tuijnman, p45, Table 10)
In the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) assessment, 1994-98:
- The average composite literacy score of native-born adults in the U.S. was 284 (Level 3); the U.S. ranked 10th out of 17 high-income countries;
- The average composite literacy score of foreign-born adults in the U.S. was 210 (Level 1); the U.S. ranked 16th out of 17 countries.
(Sum, 2002, p21, Table 12)
A number of national and state organizations in the U.S., including the National Governor's Association, have identified Level 3 proficiency as a minimum standard for success in today's labor market. Findings from the IALS assessment indicate that only half of the U.S. adult population 16-65 years of age reached Level 3.
(Sum, 2002, p11, Table 5)
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