China fuels rapid growth in number of internet users in the Asia-Pacific
Internet users in the Asia-Pacific region have grown significantly in the past year, according to a new comScore report.
Almost half a billion users (484 million) aged 15 and over now log on to the internet from home or work in the region, a 22% increase compared to September 2008.
As a result, the region now accounts for around 41% of the total 1.2 billion people surfing the net around the globe.
The report found that China, which is home to the largest internet population in the world, experienced a 31% increase to 220.8 million, making it the fastest-growing country in the region in terms of internet use.
Japan also saw its online population rise by 18% to 68.3 million, followed by India, which reported a 17% increase to 35.8 million users.
Will Hodgman, comScore’s executive vice president for the Asia-Pacific region, said: “Asia is not only home to the largest internet population in the world, but it is also one of the fast-growing.
“With most markets in the region experiencing double-digit growth, marketers and advertisers have the opportunity to capitalise on the potential of the online channel to reach and engage a surging number of people engaging in a variety of consumer activities online, including reading content, watching video, playing online games, engaging with brands, conducting financial transactions and making online purchases.”