44 million adults in the U.S. can't read well enough to interpret a simple bedtime story to a child. 
37 percent of fourth graders and 26 percent of eighth graders cannot read at their basic expected levels. 
50 percent of all American adults are unable to comprehend an eighth grade level book. 
21 million Americans can't read at all, 45 million are marginally illiterate and one fifth of high school graduates can't even read their own diplomas!

Crime and Literacy:

60 percent of American prison inmates are illiterate, and 85% of all juvenile offenders have severe reading difficulties. 
When the State of Arizona projects how many prison beds it will need in the upcoming years, it factors in the number of fourth grade children who can read well. 
Inmates have only a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive substantial literacy guidance, as opposed to a 70% return rate for those who receive no help. 
Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level.

Literacy is learned, as is illiteracy, both being passed along by parents. 
One in four children becomes an adult, not knowing how to read. 
3 out of 4 food stamp recipients perform in the lowest 40 percent of literacy levels. 
People, who volunteer to teach reading skills, develop beneficial changes in their brains, which have been shown to improve an aging brain's functionality.

So what does this mean to you? Literacy is an important factor in our lives. It immensely improves our lives, as well as the quality in others. Conversely, illiteracy can influence the same areas negatively. By teaching someone to read, or helping them learn, you are performing a tremendously noble service. As well as profoundly affecting the person who you teach; your dedicated teaching can have much farther-reaching ramifications than you might have first imagined. Again, as literacy is passed along to children from their parents at a very young age, you are making a difference.

Highlighted above are only a few statistics; further research would show even more. Don't be afraid to share your findings! If you find a statistic that may explore the gravity of the world's literacy situation, feel free to send us an e-mail at narda@nardagani.com

US Department of Education
Literacy Information and Communication System
National Assessment of Educational Progress