A new study projects that the number of Canadians with low literacy skills will rise 25 per cent over the 30-year period from 2001 to 2031.
The report released today by the Canadian Council on Learning predicts that more than 15 million adults in Canada will have low literacy skills.
But the overall percentage of adults with low literacy skills in 2031 will actually dip slightly to 47 per cent.
The report says Canada must address these issues in order to maintain a healthy population and stay competitive in a global environment.
The council's report also looked at adult literacy projections for Canada's four largest cities - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa.
Of the four cities, the study estimated that Canada's capital will have the lowest proportion of adults with low-level literacy by 2031. But Ottawa is predicted to see the biggest increase in the overall population of adults with low literacy skills - an 80 per cent surge from more than 275,000 in 2001 to nearly half a million in 2031.
Meanwhile, the total population of adults with low literacy skills in Montreal is expected to rise 20 per cent, from 1.5 million in 2001 to 1.8 million in 2031.