In 2000, 18% of the population was considered illiterate, while in 2015 only 14% of the population is considered illiterate. (137)

Progress is attributed more to the older, illiterate generation being replaced by the younger, literate generation than past school aged adults becoming literate. (137)

Also a goal is to decrease the gender discrepancy in literacy. (137)

The United Nations declared the UN Literacy Decade (UNLD) from 2003 – 2012, and put a focus back on adult literacy, and literacy in general.  UNESCO created the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE) program in 2006 to implement UNLD, when it became clear that the current efforts would not produce the desired results by 2015.  LIFE encouraged governments, organizations, private sector companies, and development agencies to focus on literacy initiatives in the 35 countries where 85% of the world’s illiterate adults resided.

Belém Framework for Action, a result of UNESCO’s Sixth International Conference on Adult Education was another initiative to refocus on adult literacy, positioning it at the center of adult education and lifelong learning.

Unfortunately, these programs have not been very effective, as it was found that LIFE was difficult to create a common understanding of the initiative and therefore the program was lacking in a long-term vision that could cohabitate with national education strategies.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, governments proposed large changes to adult literacy programs.  In the 1990’s, these campaings became less common as the focus shifted to universal primary education.  Many literacy campaigns are risky due to their large size and some-what unrealistic expectations.  They also have a “one size fits all” approach to education, some focus on specific demographics instead of all illiterate adults, and the wording of the program portrays a “social illness”.

Monitoring and evaluation of adult literacy is an issue, where there are very few ways to determine when an adult becomes literate.   Additionally, evaluation does not occur for each and every individual, but rather groupings of adults.  This grouping can be done through age, gender, race, location, and many other ways. The best way to determine the success of these programs and campaigns is to evaluate a group based on age and follow them as they age.

Furthermore, adult education teachers are hard to find, and their training and recruitment is low. Many programs and campaigns use volunteers to educate adults, and this is considered the weakest part of most programs.

Overall, literacy programs and campaigns have had little impact on the improving adult literacy skills.