The world’s internet population increased by 3% in the final quarter of 2002, according to the latest Global Internet Trends Report from Nielsen//NetRatings.
Worldwide Home Internet Users Q4 2002 | ||
Region | Total (m) | % Of World Internet Population |
US | 168.1 | 29 |
Europe | 135.3 | 23 |
Asia & Pacific | 75.5 | 13 |
Latin America | 14.3 | 2 |
Rest Of World | 186.8 | 33 |
Total | 580.0 | 100 |
Europe covers: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK | ||
Asia & Pacific covers: Australia, Hong Kong, Japan | ||
Latin America covers: Brazil | ||
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings, February 2003 |
Figures show that the home internet population has increased by over 16% in the past year and both mature and developing markets are contributing to this ongoing growth.
“Nearly 10 million people over the age of 16 gained internet access in the US between the end of 2001 and the end of 2002, significantly more than in the other markets studied,” said Richard Goosey, international chief of measurement science at Nielsen//NetRatings. “As a percentage of population, this number represents a three percent increase for the US, whereas Spain experienced an increase of 22% of its population online for the same year.”
% Of People With Current Internet Access, By Country* | |||
Country | Q4 2001 | Q4 2002 | Change |
Spain | 32 | 54 | 22 |
UK | 62 | 68 | 6 |
Italy | 50 | 56 | 6 |
Germany | 59 | 63 | 4 |
US | 76 | 79 | 3 |
Netherlands | 70 | 73 | 3 |
France | 52 | 54 | 2 |
Brazil | 43 | 45 | 2 |
Sweden | 84 | 85 | 1 |
Hong Kong | 73 | 70 | -3 |
Australia | 76 | 72 | -4 |
* Any location; among population 16+ in households with fixed line telephones | |||
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings, February 2003 |