Those stats don’t usually account for ESL immigrants, heads up. Some of those “can’t read” people can read in their language, but can barely speak English and so can’t read it well either. Some of those people are plenty smart, too, these studies are often mildly racist.
Iirc that’s also the percentage of Americans who are functionally illiterateLooked it up, it’s worse.
Those stats don’t usually account for ESL immigrants, heads up. Some of those “can’t read” people can read in their language, but can barely speak English and so can’t read it well either. Some of those people are plenty smart, too, these studies are often mildly racist.