The fourth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE 4) argues that achieving SDG 4, and realizing its cross-cutting contribution to the other 16 goals, demands a much more integrated and comprehensive approach to education, with adult learning and education at its heart. GRALE 3, published in 2016, showed that adult learning and education produces significant benefits across a range of policy areas. Countries reported a positive impact on health and well-being, employment and the labour market, and social, civic and community life. GRALE 4, while reinforcing the message that the benefits of participation in ALE are substantial, shows that they remain unevenly distributed.