National Adult Literacy Database

This document is the second report from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey, an international comparative study designed to provide participating countries with information about the skills of their adult populations.

It offers new insights into factors influencing the development of adult skills at home and at work for the 11 countries participating in the first and last round of data collection between 2003 and 2008.

The study focuses in particular on numeracy skills and problem solving skills, exploring the relationships between numeracy and key demographic factors, as well as labour market outcomes and earnings.

It also provides further information on the nature and magnitude of the literacy gaps faced by countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and how these gaps have evolved over the medium term.

The report concludes by looking at the mismatch between the day-to-day literacy requirements of workers and the literacy skills they have actually obtained.