As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes embedded across workplaces and everyday life, the ability to understand and work with numbers has never mattered more.
Cross-party think tank Policy Connect, in partnership with National Numeracy and KPMG, has launched a new research project examining what the rise of AI means for numeracy skills and social mobility in the UK. The project proceeds from the understanding that AI makes numeracy more important than ever: using AI tools effectively requires people to draw on foundational skills including mathematical literacy, data interpretation, probability and statistics, and critical reasoning. The research will examine whether people across the UK currently possess these skills, and what the consequences of any gap are for education, employment, and social mobility.
The research will be led by Policy Connect, working in close partnership with National Numeracy and KPMG. The final report will be launched in Summer 2026.
Despite the growing centrality of data and AI in working life, numeracy remains a significant and underacknowledged challenge in the UK. Research by National Numeracy finds that nearly one in five people avoid applying for a job or qualification because it involves maths, while low numeracy is linked to earnings around 6.5% lower than those with basic numeracy skills, equivalent to nearly £1,600 less per year. These challenges do not fall evenly with people from disadvantaged backgrounds are disproportionately likely to lack the foundational skills needed to participate fully in an increasingly data-driven economy.
At the same time, AI adoption is accelerating rapidly across sectors. From interpreting algorithmic outputs in a workplace setting to understanding AI-generated financial or medical information in everyday life, the practical demands AI places on numeracy skills are growing. Yet, there has been limited research examining this relationship directly.
The Government’s ambitions for AI adoption across public services and the wider economy, and its commitments to skills, opportunity, and social mobility, together create a clear need for evidence on how numeracy sits at the intersection of these goals.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the research will combine a review of existing evidence and qualitative stakeholder engagement with a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults. This will allow the research to quantify the scale of the challenge, map variation in AI readiness across different demographic groups, and identify who risks being left behind. Findings will be used to produce practical, evidence-based recommendations for policymakers, educators, and business leaders.
The research will address the following themes:
- AI Readiness: what numeracy skills people need in order to use AI tools effectively, and to what extent the current population possesses them.
- Education and Employment: how the growing role of AI in workplaces and educational settings is changing the skills demanded of individuals, and who risks being left behind.
- Policy Action: what steps policymakers should take to promote numeracy as a foundational skill in the age of AI, across school, home, and workplace environments.
- Access and Equity: how poor numeracy creates barriers to effective AI use among disadvantaged communities, and what targeted support is needed.
For further information about the research, please contact the lead researcher, Rhiannon Tuckett-Jones (rhiannon.tuckett@policyconnect.org.uk).
