Are 1 in 5 American adults functionally illiterate? | Fact brief

The claim that a fifth of American adults are functionally illiterate likely confuses low literacy with functional illiteracy.

Functionally illiterate people may struggle to understand basic sentences, find information in short texts or complete simple forms, the U.S. Department of Education says.

The department says adults below Level 1, the lowest proficiency level, may be considered functionally illiterate. In a 2023 international assessment, 12% of U.S. residents ages 16 to 65 fell into that category. 

That same assessment found 16% had Level 1 English literacy, which is considered low but more advanced than functional illiteracy. The share at or below Level 1 was 28%, up from 19% ­— roughly one in five — in 2017.

The rise is partly due to changing methodologies, the department said. Its literacy categories range up to Level 5, with those at Level 1 able to read short passages and find clearly stated information.