Quick Facts
- 22% of the adults living in the Moraine Valley Community College district, 18 years or older, do not have a high school education.
- In Cook County, there are 662,230 residents, 18 years and older, with less than 8 years of education.
- Illinois ranks a poor 34th in the literacy rate among the 50 states.
- 20% of American adults can't make informed decisions because they can't read.
- A staggering total of nearly 25 million Americans (1 in 5 adults) lack the reading and writing abilities needed to handle the demands of daily living.
- An illiterate adult earns 42% less than a high school graduate.
- 50%-70% of the unemployed are in need of functional literacy skills.
- 85% of the juvenile offenders, 50% of the prison population, and 30% of welfare mothers are in need of functional literacy skills.
- The United States ranks 49th in literacy rates among all United Nations countries.
- Illiteracy costs the economy $225 billion annually in lost revenues, taxes, and decreased industrial productivity.
- 27% of army enlistees can't read training manuals written at the 7th grade level.
- Estimates show there are approximately two million people in Illinois who cannot read above a 5th grade level.
- Only 10% of the nation's population uses the local library.
- 5% of the population reads consistently.
- 39% of the population never reads.
- The number-one magazine in sales and readership is the TV Guide.
- The number-one newspaper in sales and readership is the National Enquirer.
