Change is at the heart of modern society, and continuous learning is the key to deal with it. Those that can adapt will be resilient, survive and have a chance to flourish. Those that cannot will become vulnerable and dependent. The future economic and social success of any society will rely on policies that support and foster adult learning. But as investment in lifelong learning expands, it is important to monitor how learning opportunities are distributed among different groups within societies. Otherwise socio-economic divisions may be exacerbated.

In this booklet, the authors present an internationally comparative overview of adult learning patterns, and examiner their policy and research implications.They emphasize the question of who participates in adult learning, and look at the factors behind the observed inequalities.