The Los Angeles Review of Books Reports on Falling Literacy Rates

Literacy rates are dropping across 29 of 31 Western countries tracked by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, while American high school senior reading proficiency has fallen to 35 percent, the lowest level recorded since the National Assessment of Educational Progress started tracking the metric in 1992, the Los Angeles Review of Books reported.

Decline Recorded by the National Endowment for the Arts

Surveys conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts show a steady drop in the percentage of Americans reading creative literature. The organization’s 2022 survey found that 37.6 percent of Americans had read a work of creative literature in the past year, down from 56.9 percent in 1982.

OECD data reveals a widening literacy gap within Western nations. While reading rates among the most educated citizens in certain countries show improvement, literacy levels among the least educated populations are dipping. In contrast, Denmark and Finland stand as the only two nations in the 31-country OECD study maintaining or improving their overall literacy rates.

The Historical Link Between Print and the Enlightenment

Marriott asserts that complex intellectual frameworks in history, philosophy, and science depend on literacy rather than oral traditions.

The 18th-century reading revolution democratized knowledge by moving books beyond the exclusive control of churches and monarchs.

Shifting Consumer Habits on Public Transit

Commuter behavior reflects the broader cultural shift away from printed media toward digital screens. Observers note that train passengers who once read daily newspapers now scroll through mobile phones, engaging in what resembles digital channel surfing rather than deep reading.

Caleb Crain observed in a 2007 essay for The New Yorker that reading books for pleasure may eventually become the exclusive activity of a specialized reading class, mirroring the period before mass literacy.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Global Reading Decline

What specific data points indicate a decline in American reading proficiency?

American high school senior reading proficiency stands at 35 percent, marking the lowest level recorded since the National Assessment of Educational Progress began tracking the metric in 1992. NEA surveys show that the percentage of Americans reading creative literature dropped from 56.9 percent in 1982 to 37.6 percent in 2022.

Which countries are bucking the OECD literacy decline trend?

Out of 31 Western countries examined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Denmark and Finland are the only two nations where literacy rates are not stagnating or declining.

When was James Marriott’s book The New Dark Ages published?

Doubleday published James Marriott’s 208-page book, The New Dark Ages: The Death of Reading and the Dawn of the Post-Literate Society, in 2026.