Statistics on illiteracy in America
Remember: these aren't just statistics -- they are people
11 million Americans lack the skills to handle many everyday tasks
About one in 20 adults in the U.S. is not literate in English
42 million American adults can't read at all; 50 million are unable to read at a higher level that is expected of a fourth or fifth grader
20 percent of high school seniors can be classified as being functionally illiterate at the time they graduate
85 percent of all juvenile offenders rate as functionally or marginally illiterate
