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African American Literacy Statistics
June 5, 2023 by Danny McLoughlinLiteracy rates have been shown to be a key factor in determining outcomes of everything from the likelihood of going to prison. On the other hand, the conditions a person grows up in – such as the literacy rate of their parents and poverty – have a significant impact on a child’s chances of gaining reading proficiency.
The number of African American adults with low literacy skills has remained relatively stable since 1992.
The estimated literacy rate among African American adults (aged 15 and above) in the United States is approximately 88% as of 2020
While it was around 90% for White Americans.
The overall literacy rate in the United States is around 86%, making the African American adult literacy rate slightly higher than the national average
African American literacy rates have significantly improved over the past half-century, increasing from approximately 60% in the 1960s to the current rate of around 88%
Factors contributing to the improvement in African American literacy rates include increased educational access, improved educational quality, and government initiatives targeting socio-economic disparities and racial inequalities