LONDON: - Children who fail to master basic maths cost society up to £44,000 (S$93,000) by their late 30s, a report has said.
Research by KPMG Foundation, a group of financial consultants, estimated that seven million adults in Britain have, at best, the maths ability of a nine-year-old, Times of London said.
It costs the taxpayer £2.4 billion every year as people fall behind at school and in the workplace.
The report said that children who fail to master basic maths are more likely to play truant and be excluded from school, and run a higher risk of depression and unemployment and being drawn into crime.
The report added that legal expenses alone cost the taxpayer £164.8 million a year in court appearances and jail terms, according to The Independent. People with very low numeracy skills are two to three times more likely to live in a household where both partners do not have jobs.
'Competent numeracy would appear important not only in relation to employability and the economy, but also as a protective factor in maintaining social cohesion,' the report said.
The KPMG research said women are more likely to admit to difficulties with maths than men.
It was commissioned by Every Child a Chance Trust, an educational charity, which says that 30,000 children leave primary school each year unable to do simple calculations. The charity is starting a campaign to encourage businesses to help local children with maths problems.
Mr John Griffith-Jones, chairman of KPMG and the trust, said: 'Every pound put forward now will save the nation at least £12 later on in reduced crime and unemployment and other savings.'
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