This week, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has published some more analysis of Ireland’s results from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Survey of Adult Skills 2023.

Worse social outcomes

The new research by the CSO shows that in Ireland, adults with literacy or numeracy needs are doing worse than other people in all of the following five ‘social outcomes’ measured by the survey:

1. Volunteering – How often do you volunteer, for example for a charity, sports club, or community group?
2. Political efficacy – How much do you feel like you have a say in what the government does?
3. Life satisfaction – How happy are you with your life overall?
4. Social trust – How much do you trust other people in general?
5. Future benefit orientation – How willing are you to give up something today to benefit from this in the future?

Adults who never volunteer, and adults who have low scores in political efficacy, life satisfaction, social trust or future benefit orientation, are all more likely to have literacy or numeracy needs.

For some social outcomes, the gap is large. For example, 25% of all adults in Ireland have numeracy needs, while 43% of adults with low future benefit orientation have numeracy needs.

More evidence of disadvantage

This adds to earlier findings from the OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023 which showed that people in Ireland with literacy or numeracy needs – on average – have:

– worse health;
– lower incomes; and
– lower rates of employment.

It is clear from this research that adults with literacy needs are disadvantaged in Irish society. They tend to be less happy, less healthy, less well-off and less trusting in other people, the political system or the future. They are also less likely to be engaging in adult learning.

We can make this right by supporting adults who want to improve their literacy skills, and by making our society more literacy friendly.

What can you do?

• Take our short online course in “Understanding Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy”
• Use our Writing and Design Checklist in your work
• Become a NALA member

More information on the research

CSO second release of data from the OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (published by CSO on 25 August 2025)

CSO first release of data from the OECD Survey of Adult Skills 2023 (published by CSO on 10 December 2024)

NALA news item on the first release of data (10 December 2024)

NALA news item on the OECD’s report on adult learning (9 July 2025)

Contact for media queries

Michelle Lynch

Communications, Outreach and Advocacy Manager

mlynch@nala.ie

0879689016