“Knowledge is power”. When people are asked what the key to success in life is, a few things come to mind: being charismatic, being born into a wealthy family and knowing the right people, having a well-paying job, or just plain luck. While all of the above is true, the real key to success is knowledge. Having knowledge means having options means having power. Illiteracy results from people's lack of knowledge or awareness. To eradicate social divide and economic decline people must first be informed about the causes and effects of illiteracy to find an affective solution. The looming threats to global infrastructure are not economic collapse, terrorism, climate change, overpopulation, poverty, or even a lack of fossil fuels; it's a deeper, simpler threat: illiteracy (Top Ten List). The estimated cost to the global economy is $1.19 trillion. One fifth of the world's population suffers from illiteracy, which means there are more than 796 million people who cannot read or write (Cree, Kay and Steward). This large number can be attributed to many causes such as attitudes towards learning, geographical factors, disabilities and gender bias (Nayak). Problems are present in third world countries as well as first world countries. These people are “trapped in a cycle of poverty with limited employment or income-generating opportunities” (Cree, Kay and Steward). This cycle of poverty leads to other problems such as crime, welfare dependency, health problems, unemployment or debt. Illiterate people earn approximately “30%-40% less than their literate counterparts” (Cree, Kay and Steward). The income they earn remains constant throughout their lives. On the other hand, literate people earn 2 to 3 times more than… half of the paper… affects the economy due to loss of profitability and productivity (Cree, Kay and Steward). Constantly having to fix mistakes and losing potential customers is an opportunity cost of having illiterate employees. The cost of finding qualified staff to solve problems is very difficult for small businesses. Illiterate employees make communication more difficult and often communicate poorly causing internal problems. Illiteracy “costs a developed nation 2% of GDP, an emerging economy 1.2% of GDP, and a developing country 0.5% of GDP” (Cree, Kay and Steward) . Illiteracy limits the ability to access, understand and apply health-related issues, thus resulting in a household with poor personal hygiene and nutrition. Illiterate people are trapped in a “cycle of poverty” and are more likely to turn to a life of crime and depend on social welfare and charity (Cree, Kay, Steward).