Final answer:
Approximately 82 million adult Americans have below basic or basic literacy skills.
Step-by-step explanation:
The combined total of adult Americans with below basic or basic literacy skills is approximately 82 million people. Today, eight million adult Americans have not finished five years of school, nearly 20 million have not finished eight years of school, and more than one-quarter of all Americans have not finished high school. These statistics highlight the significant challenges that exist in achieving universal literacy in the United States.