Austria warns of increasing illiteracy
(MENAFN) According to the EU nation’s government statistics office, Austria is facing a concerning trend, with nearly a third of its population struggling with reading skills.
The situation is especially pronounced among individuals employed in positions that require medium to low qualifications, Statistics Austria, which is a national statistics agency noted earlier this week.
According to available data, about 29.0% of Austria’s nine million residents—approximately 2.6 million people—are classified as having low literacy levels.
Between 2012 and 2023, the number of people experiencing reading difficulties grew by 11.9%.
On average, Austrian adults aged 16 to 65 scored 254 points in literacy, which is notably below the 260-point benchmark set by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development).
Younger Austrians, aged 16 to 24, performed above the OECD average, while older generations fell significantly short of expectations, according to the agency. “The differences in reading skills among adults are large, and this gap has continued to widen,” said Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria.
Additionally, the agency reported a marked drop in the reading of more complex materials such as newspapers and magazines. Instead, Austrians now tend to read emails and shorter texts.
Mathematical literacy is also declining, with the proportion of people struggling with everyday math tasks rising by 6.7% between 2012 and 2023, affecting 22.6% of the population.
Meanwhile, a state pollster in another country noted that “reading remains a popular means of obtaining knowledge and information among the Russians,” despite strong competition from visual media.
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