Bookworm or TV addict

Surfing the Internet may be a growing hobby but television and books are both alive and well in the information age. For the 21 countries participating in the International Adult Literacy Survey between 1994 to 1998, 45% watch television more than two hours per day, an average of 62% read a book at

Nevertheless, literacy skills are not as high as today's information society requires. Even the most economically advanced societies have a literacy skills deficit, according to the final report of the survey. In 14 out of 20 countries, at least 15% of all adults have literacy skills at only the most rudimentary level. Even in Sweden, which scored highest in prose literacy, 8% of the adult population lack the minimum reading level for the demands of modern life and work.

The most important predictor of literacy proficiency is education. On average, people increase their literacy scores by about 10% for each additional year they attend school. Educational attainment is also the most important determinant of earnings in most countries, and the survey shows that literacy also has an independent effect on wages, as well as increased longevity and healthier habits and lifestyles. The new report, Literacy in the Information Age, is available at http://www.oecd.org/bookshop.