The number of Chinese Internet users grew by 18% in 2004 and 2005, and 23% in 2006, the Pew Internet & American Life Project said in a recent report. Those numbers translate into 26 million new users in 2006, and 57 million over the last three years.
The number of Internet users in China has reached 137 million, and with double-digit annual growth projected, the country will overtake the United States in total number of users in 2009.
By comparison, growth in the United States has increased to between 7 million and 9 million adults and teenagers since 2005. The total number of Internet users in the United States today is estimated at 165 million to 210 million.
While 71% of Americans age 18 and over use the Internet, only about 10% of China's population is online. The Chinese users are relatively young, male, urban, and are disproportionately composed of students, the report said. Specifically, 70% are under the age of 30 and nearly 60% are men. The penetration rate in urban areas is about 20%, compared with just over 3% in rural areas. (Source: Antone Gonsalves, InformationWeek, July 13, 2007