China Internet Users Top 200 Million
There are now 210 million internet users in China, a number that has increased by 53% since 2006. Another 5 million users and China will officially become the most wired nation in the world, even though only 16% of its citizens are online.
The fastest growth came from users 18 to 30 years old and, surprisingly, around 40% of the new users added in the last year came from rural areas.
Chinese internet users are very much interested in social media, video, and music. While 86% of Chinese users listen to music, only 56% use email.
Internet usage in China does still lag behind mobile phone use, and many of the country’s users actually don’t have regular access to a computer. Since the study was done by China Internet Network Information Centre, which is affiliated with the goverment, the numbers are somewhat dubious.
But on the eve of the Beijing Olympics, there is no doubt that China is getting wired faster than any country in the world, and their relative youth and affinity for social media offers a big chance for marketing opportunities.
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