1. Introduction

The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) survey conducted in 2006 is an investigation of the distribution of certain skills among people aged 16 to 65. The skills tested are literacy (both prose literacy and document literacy), numeracy and problem-solving. The survey is conducted across a number of countries, as well as providing information specific to New Zealand.

The ALL survey follows a similar survey conducted in 1996: the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). Parts of the ALL survey are directly comparable to this earlier work. In particular, prose literacy and document literacy can be compared to provide a picture of some of the changes that have occurred over the previous decade.

For further information, please refer to The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALL) Survey: An Introduction. That publication is intended as a companion to any reporting on the ALL survey and contains such general information as the nature of the ALL survey and its application, as well as definitions, and descriptions of the skill domains and levels. Further information can also be found in the glossary, including definitions of the skills tested by the ALL survey (prose literacy, document literacy, numeracy and problem-solving) and the ways in which these are measured (levels of proficiency).

The focus of the current report is on the distribution of literacy and numeracy skills in New Zealand according to age. Where possible, this report compares these distributions with those from the 1996 IALS survey. This report also includes an analysis of literacy and numeracy skills in New Zealand according to age and gender simultaneously, as well as an investigation of how participation in up-skilling activities varies with age.

This report is the fourth in a series of four looking at the high-level results from the ALL survey. More in-depth analysis will be undertaken following the completion of this initial series.