Children who can’t do basic maths will cost English taxpayers more than £2bn a year unless drastic action is taken to help them, research by KPMG, the professional services firm, suggests.

This includes £1.5bn in foregone tax because innumerate people are more likely to be unemployed or in low-paid jobs. It also allows for the financial penalty of a host of other problems born of poor career prospects, including substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and crime.