Internet Usage Still Growing Worldwide

The number of individuals worldwide with access to the web via a home PC increased from 563 million in Q3 (see Internet Population Increases By 10 Million) to 580 million at the end of 2002. The US, with more than 168 million users (29% share), has the largest online population, followed by Europe which has 135.3 million web surfers (23%).

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