The gap between the top-skilled and the lowest-skilled is growing, according to a survey of adult skills.

Summary

A new survey by the National Center for Education Statistics reveals that 28% of U.S. adults perform at the lowest levels of literacy, up from 19% in 2017, with a growing gap between top-skilled and lowest-skilled individuals.

The Survey of Adult Skills, which compares literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving abilities across over two dozen countries, found the U.S. remained average as many nations experienced similar declines.

NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr noted these low scores indicate functional illiteracy, affecting basic life and work tasks, though the exact causes of the decline remain unclear.