China Internet Users Report Highlights Growth in 2024

The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) has released its latest Internet Users Data Report, offering crucial insights into the country’s digital landscape. Published in August 2024, the report covers data collected up to June 2024 and is widely used by policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers.

Internet User Growth and Mobile Dominance

As of August 2024, China’s internet user base reached 1,099 million, reflecting an increase of 7.42 million users since December 2023. Internet penetration in the country now stands at 78%, showing a 0.8% increase over the same period.

Mobile internet use remains dominant, with 1,096 million users accessing the internet via mobile devices, representing 99.7% of all Chinese internet users.

Urban vs. Rural Users

A notable aspect of the report is the distribution of urban and rural internet users. As of June 2024, urban users made up 72.3% of the total internet population, with 795 million users. Meanwhile, 304 million users were from rural areas, accounting for 27.7% of the national total.

Device Preferences and Domain Growth

Mobile phones are the most common way to access the internet, with 99.7% of users relying on them. Other devices used include desktop computers (34.2%), laptops (32.4%), TVs (25.2%), and tablets (30.5%).

The report also highlighted growth in IPv6 addresses, which rose by 1.5% since December 2023. By June 2024, China had 69,080 IPv6 address blocks, signaling continued infrastructure development. Additionally, the country’s domain names totaled 31.87 million by mid-2024.

Popular Online Activities

Several online services have seen significant user growth in China:

  • Instant messaging remains the most popular activity, with 1.08 billion users by June 2024.
  • Online video usage reached 1.07 billion users, with short video users making up 95.5% of the total.
  • Online payment services had 969 million users, representing 88.1% of the population.
  • Online shopping attracted 905 million users, or 82.3% of China’s internet users.
  • Search engine use reached 824 million users, accounting for 75% of the total.

Other Key Insights

Several other digital services are gaining traction:

  • Live streaming services had 777 million users, representing 70.6% of the internet population.
  • Online music attracted 729 million users, accounting for 66.3% of netizens.
  • Online literature was used by 516 million people, or 46.9% of the online population.
  • Food delivery services reached 553 million users, while online car-hailing and travel booking services had 503 million and 365 million users, respectively.

Conclusion

The August 2024 report by CNNIC underscores the continued growth and digital transformation in China. With nearly 1.1 billion internet users and increasing reliance on mobile technology, the data offers valuable insights for businesses and researchers looking to understand the evolving Chinese market.