The economic and social cost of illiteracy: a snapshot of illiteracy in a global context

The purpose of this report is to highlight the economic and social cost of illiteracy to the global economy. It discusses the causes and issues surrounding illiteracy, the direct link between poverty and illiteracy, how tackling literacy has a very real and measurable impact on the growth of an economy, and recommendations for combating the state of illiteracy as it stands in the world today.

The findings of this final report include: the cost of illiteracy to the global economy is estimated at 1.19 trillion dollars; and the effects of illiteracy are very similar in developing and developed countries. This includes illiterate people trapped in a cycle of poverty with limited opportunities for employment or income generation and higher chances of poor health, turning to crime and dependence on social welfare or charity (if available).

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