We Are Losing the Ability to Read

Rebuilding from Knowledge

Article by Vision Team 

It is the international ranking that should concern us more than any other, which measures the factor most crucial to a community's potential to have a future. Yesterday, the OECD, which serves as a research hub for the most advanced economies and a benchmark for serious researchers, released at least three significant findings. Among adults, the literacy and numeracy skills have largely declined; Italy ranks sixth last out of 31 countries in literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills.¹ Nevertheless, it is confirmed that the ability to transform data into knowledge is the key factor in finding a job to be proud of, enjoying good health, and even having a greater desire to have children. These figures are foundational for any strategy aiming to revive energy and progress.

Source: OECD

The ranking, carried out by researchers at the Paris-based institution, involved interviews with approximately 150,000 individuals representative of each country's population, which was conducted a decade ago. Its comparison with newly presented data is interesting. Adults—defined as those aged 16 to 65—are losing the ability to comprehend written texts. Among 31 OECD countries analyzed, 27 have seen an increase in the number of individuals whose ability to process the logical analysis on a piece of writing is lower than what school curricula expect of a primary school graduate. On average, a quarter of adults in high-income economies fall into this category; in Italy, the figure reaches 35%, up from 28% in the 2013 analysis.²

Source: OECD

In some countries, the decline is partly attributable to factors such as population ageing, which leads to cognitive deterioration, and increased immigration with natural disadvantages in linguistic proficiency. Italy also faces challenges like a lower percentage of people reaching university and a higher dropout rate from compulsory education. Nonetheless, even when controlling for these factors, the disadvantages remain, which points out the issue that the nature of the problem has changed structurally: Italian adults perform less well in mathematics than the adults in Finland. Finland, along with Japan and Sweden, leads the rankings, while countries like Poland and Portugal follow Italy.³ Even with the same age and education level, there is a noticeable decline in the ability to solve basic problems. It is reasonable to hypothesize that there has been a technological disruptions like social media that we have not been able to govern effectively.

These findings are of immense importance. The same research reveals that—in Italy, for instance—moving from the lowest to the fourth-highest level in numerical competence will double the income, more than double the likelihood of enjoying excellent health and trusting others.⁴ Though it seems to have little impact on political participation. 

Source: OECD

In light of this, it is clear that greater investment in education is necessary. It is worth noting that Italy remains the only country spending four times more on pensions, a subsidy for those who have exited the workforce, than on education spanning from early childhood to university. ⁵

Source: OECD

Reorganizing the way to transmit knowledge is also essential. It is no longer sufficient to focus solely on those under 25. Demographic trends demand that we continuously support lifelong learning, particularly for older adults who constitute a growing share of the population. Moreover, we must radically rethink the tools to access the overwhelming flood of information—both traditional channels and social media, which has likely diminished our ability to think critically while reading.

For Italy, the paradox is that it suffers more than others from a knowledge crisis while being surrounded—more than anyone else—by symbols of knowledge. To reverse this most perilous decline, a better understanding of the machines is needed. In an era facing the challenges of AI, it’s important to live in harmony with the intelligence that defined people and transform it into a competitive advantage.

[1] https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2024/12/do-adults-have-the-skills-they-need-to-thrive-in-a-changing-world_4396f1f1.html

[2] https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/survey-of-adults-skills-2023-country-notes_ab4f6b8c-en/italy_b03d6066-en.html

[3] https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2024/12/do-adults-have-the-skills-they-need-to-thrive-in-a-changing-world_4396f1f1.html

[4] https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/survey-of-adults-skills-2023-country-notes_ab4f6b8c-en/italy_b03d6066-en.html

[5] https://oecdstatistics.blog/2023/02/02/sizing-up-welfare-states-how-do-oecd-countries-compare/?.com

References 

OECD. 2024. Do Adults Have the Skills They Need to Thrive in a Changing World? Link.

OECD. 2024. Survey of Adults Skills 2023: Italy. Link.

OECD. 2023. Sizing up Welfare States: How do OECD countries compare? Link