The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is a registered charity and membership-based organisation in Ireland governed by a voluntary Board and four subcommittees.
We are committed to making sure people with unmet literacy, numeracy and digital literacy needs can fully take part in society and have access to quality learning opportunities that meet their needs. We believe literacy is a human right and collaborate with our partners to influence policy and practice to support the development of literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills.
Findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Survey of Adult Skills 2023, released on 10 December 2024 (CSO 2024), show the following:
1 in 5 adults in Ireland (21%, around 700,000 people) do not have basic proficiency in literacy. This means that 1 in 5 adults can, at best, understand short texts and organised lists, when information is clearly indicated.
1 in 4 adults in Ireland (25%, around 835,000 people) do not have basic proficiency in numeracy. This means that 1 in 4 adults can, at best, do basic calculations but may struggle with tasks needing multiple steps.
Other findings on digital skills in 2023, from the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI, European Commission 2024), show that:
More than 1 in 4 adults in Ireland (27%, just over one million people) do not have basic digital skills. This means that they have not done at least one activity in each of five digital competence areas4. For example, sent an email, fact-checked something or changed software settings.
These unmet needs have devastating consequences for individuals, communities, and the economy. People at the lowest literacy and numeracy levels earn less income, have poorer health and are more likely to be unemployed.
Since we were set up by volunteers in 1980, we have been a leading campaigning and lobbying force on adult literacy issues. We have been involved in national policy, tutor training and teaching resources, research, and campaigns to support people with these unmet needs.
See www.nala.ie for more information.
