March 18, 2024 – A new study by Pollara Strategic Insights, conducted on behalf of United for Literacy, shows that nine-in-ten Canadians believe improving literacy rates would improve Canadians’ standard of living (92%) and contribute to a more prosperous society (93%). Moreover, nine-in-ten also feel that being able to read, write, and understand printed and written materials has a positive impact on Canadians’ quality of life (94%).
After being informed that almost one-in-five Canadian adults have literacy skills too low to independently complete daily tasks such as reading a newspaper or filling out a form, almost eight-in-ten (78%) Canadians indicated that they want the federal government to do more to improve literacy rates.
This new Pollara study was conducted via an online survey on behalf of United Literacy between February 20 to 21, 2024 amongst a randomly-selected, reliable sample of N=1,552 adult Canadians. A probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The dataset has been weighted using the most current gender, age, & region Census data, to ensure the sample reflects the actual population of adult Canadians.
The study also found that most Canadians believe that lower literacy leads to lower income (70%), limited employment opportunities, a lower standard of living (58%), financial instability (58%), and a lower quality of life (57%).
For more details and findings see the press release from United for Literacy.
