The UK has one of the lowest literacy and numeracy rates in the developed world

British teenagers are among the least literate in the developed world, according to a new report.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) analysed data from a previous report and found that English teenagers aged 16-19 had the worst literacy levels of developed nations.

The country also had the second worst numeracy levels for this age group.

England had three times more low-skilled people among 16 to 19-year-olds than countries like Finland and Japan.

The report also suggested that there may be millions in the UK who “struggle with basic quantitative reasoning or have difficulty with simple written information” and “an estimated nine million working aged adults in England (more than a quarter of adults aged 16-65) with low literacy or numeracy skills or both”.

The OECD report recommends reducing the numbers of those attending university in favour of more further education courses to improve basic skills.