Skip over navigation

Use the drop-down menus below to calculate adults literacy levels in Canada, according to specific variables, from 2001 through 2031. For cities, choose the appropriate province first then select your city from the “cities” drop-down menu.

Did you know?

Although the proportion of immigrants with low literacy skills will decrease by 2031, the actual number of low-skilled immigrants will increase by 61%.

Adult Literacy Projections in Canada Printable Version Send to a Friend

Number of adults at various literacy levels

Jurisdiction: Canada - All Cities
Immigration Status: All Immigrant Status
Age Group: All Ages
Education Level: All Education Levels Legend
Number of adults at various literacy levels

This graph shows the total number of adults (according to variables selected above) at literacy Levels 1 through 5, over five-year spans between 2001 and 2031.

Proportion of adults at various literacy levels

Jurisdiction: Canada - All Cities
Immigration Status: All Immigrant Status
Age Group: All Ages
Education Level: All Education Levels Legend
Number of adults at various literacy levels

This graph shows the proportion of adults (according to variables selected above) at literacy Levels 1 through 5, over five-year spans between 2001 and 2031.

Population Numbers at Various Literacy Levels Download this data as a .CSV file

  Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4/5
2001 24,440,000 4,990,000 6,994,000 8,430,000 4,026,000
2006 26,031,000 5,071,000 7,345,000 9,120,000 4,494,000
2011 27,619,000 5,167,000 7,753,000 9,793,000 4,906,000
2016 28,974,000 5,292,000 8,121,000 10,319,000 5,241,000
2021 30,157,000 5,441,000 8,506,000 10,732,000 5,478,000
2026 31,316,000 5,603,000 8,898,000 11,122,000 5,693,000
2031 32,433,000 5,756,000 9,273,000 11,498,000 5,906,000
 

These graphs factor in the projected skills flow that can impact literacy rates.

Notes

Data from the 2003 Statistics Canada IALSS assessment were used to analyze the relationship between individual characteristics and literacy skill level. The analysis produced estimates of the likelihood of an individual being at a specific prose literacy level.

The Canadian Council on Learning multiplied these sets of probabilities using a set of Statistics Canada’s population projections for the period from 2001 to 2031. The result is an estimate at five-year intervals of the population at each of the five IALSS literacy levels.