An "unacceptably high" number of adults cannot read, write or add up, despite billions of pounds being spent on improving basic skills, MPs have warned.
Tackling poor literacy and numeracy skills is essential if more people are to realise their full potential and England is to remain competitive in the global economy, a report by the Commons public accounts committee said.
In 2003, an estimated 75% of the adult population of working age in England had numeracy skills below the level of a good GCSE, and 56% had literacy skills below this level.
In 2006/07 around 8% of pupils (51,000) left school without a grade D-G in maths and 6% (39,000) without a GCSE of this standard in English. These people are likely to need help later in life to address these problems, the report said.
It said that despite Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), and its predecessor, the Department for Education and Skills, spending £5 billion between 2001 and 2007, "England still has an unacceptably high number of people who cannot read, write and count adequately".
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In 2007, the Government announced a new target to help 95% of adults of working age to achieve functional literacy and numeracy skills by 2020. But the committee found that even if this ambition is reached, the nation's skills levels will still only be raised to a level currently achieved by the top 25% of OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries.
Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "This is a dismal picture, both for the many who face diminished prospects in what they can achieve in life and for the competitiveness of our country in the world economy.
"There is an immediate need to gather up-to-date information on where we are at present. The Department must follow up its 2003 Skills for Life survey to find out just how effective its programme has been in improving the basic skills of our population."
The report concluded that DIUS has made less progress in improving numeracy than literacy skills, helping no more than one in ten of those with numeracy skills below the level of a good GCSE. The are fewer numeracy teachers (under 6,100) than literacy (over 9,300) although the Government has plans to increase the number.
It adds: "Lack of up-to-date information on the skills of the population nationally, and by region, means that the Department cannot be sure that its programmes are equipping people with the skills that the UK economy needs to remain competitive."
