IALS 1996 Data Services
You will find the IALS 1996 publication and specific international publications of particular interest at the bottom of this page.
IALS Key Facts
When: 1996
Who: 4,223 adults 16-65 years old.
What: Prose literacy, document numeracy and quantitative literacy.
Where: 24 countries or regions participated in IALS between 1994 and 1998.
Key Findings
New Zealand had a similar distribution of literacy skills within its adult population as Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Approximately one in five adult New Zealanders was operating at a highly effective level of literacy. Students and employed people had higher levels of literacy than the unemployed and the retired. The top 20% of income earners had the highest levels of literacy. Increased retention at senior secondary school was associated with improving literacy levels.
IALS 1996 Publication
The information in this report provides a summary of the preliminary findings from a survey of adult literacy in New Zealand. The survey was conducted in New Zealand in March 1996, as part of a series of international surveys known as the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). Twenty-four countries participated in IALS.