Why Numeracy?

1.1 The economic perspective

Too many European citizens lack the necessary numeracy competencies to participate autonomously and effectively in our technologised and number-drenched society and consequently many citizens are overlooked for certain jobs and have problems in their daily life, dealing with the abundance of number-related issues.

The lack of numeracy skills increases the risk of unemployment and may influence family life and social inclusion. In particular, low-numerate workers are at risk in the labour market, particularly when faced with adaptations in the labour market, such as further digitalisation.

The lack of necessary numeracy competencies to participate autonomously and effectively in our technologized and number-drenched society is shown most pronounced in the results of the PIAAC surveys.

The PIAAC research shows that participating countries in PIAAC have on average large populations (23,5%) with scores at level 1 or below of a 5-point scale. These results on numeracy give rise to serious cause for concern for the future economic development of Europe. This is an even more pressing issue since the amount of numerical data that needs to be interpreted and used is rapidly rising due to technological developments and the prevalence of (big) data.

The next map shows for the participating European countries percentage of the working age population who scored at level 1 or below in the first PIAAC cycle. A score of level 1 or below is associated with being hampered in your personal development and your economic chances.

To get an idea on which numerate behaviour is involved in level 1 and below, we selected some descriptions of the PIAAC Assessment Framework. Please see the descriptions below.

Source: OECD (p. 48).

The lack of numeracy skills among large parts of the population increases the risk of unemployment and may influence family life and social inclusion. In particular, low-skilled workers are at risk in the labour market, particularly when faced with alterations in the labour market.

1.2 Personal development perspective

Numeracy is a relevant factor not only for the economic opportunities of individuals.

There are many other aspects of society where lack of numeracy skills can hamper participation or hinder daily activities. Lack of numeracy skills can contribute to the vulnerability of people as active citizens.

Key resources

In the recent journal special of ZDM seventeen articles are dedicated to this issue. We especially recommend the following articles.

This article by Iddo Gal, Anke Grotlüschen, Dave Tout and Gabriele Kaiser below gives an extensive overview of the development of the concept of numeracy and its manifestations in various subfields.

This article by Christine Zeuner, Antje Pabst, and Melanie Benz-Gydat individual numeracy practices of older people (age cohort 65 and above), concentrating the interrelationship between old age, vulnerability and numeracy practices. The paper is focused on questions e.g. how numeracy practices minimise the risk of vulnerability in old age; what the individual and social meanings of numeracy practices are; and in what contexts older people apply numerical skills and practices in order to avoid or minimise the effects of vulnerability.

A systematic approach can be found in a 2013 report of the National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy by Jenny Lister. This report shows the wide variety of impacts of poor numeracy on adults economic and social well-being (pp 41-45). It also highlights the importance of numeracy development for active citizenship and a sustainable democracy (p. 40).

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