- Date published:
- March 2026
- Organisation:
- NFER
- Authors:
- Lisa Kuhn, Juan Manuel del Pozo Segura, Jose Liht and Rebecca Wheater
- Sectors:
- All
- Themes:
- Essential skills
The Survey of Adult Skills is part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), measuring literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem solving skills in adults aged 16-65. A second cycle was carried out in 31 countries during 2022 and 2023, updating the picture of adult skills from the first survey cycle, held in 2012.
The 2023 survey found around 20 per cent of adults in England (aged 16-65) had low basic skills in literacy, numeracy, or both. This thematic report on low-skilled adults explores who England’s low‑skilled adults are and how this has changed over time and examines how low skills relate to education and employment.