The graph shows the internet penetration rate in China from 2008 to 2021. As of the end of 2021, about 73 percent of the Chinese population had used the internet. The penetration rate denotes the share of the population that has access to a certain communication medium.
Internet coverage in China
For comparison, the worldwide average internet penetration rate had resided at about 60 percent as of April 2021. The internet penetration in China had also been above the average rate in the Asia-Pacific countries. However, neighbor countries such as Japan and South Korea had displayed substantially higher internet penetration rates than China. It is worth noting that the internet usage in the country had faced a large regional disparity. Some of the remote western regions had shown penetration rates of below 45 percent.
Chinese online population
Over the past decade, the number of Chinese internet users has grown at a remarkable pace. By the end of 2020, the total volume of internet users in the world's most populous country had amounted to approximately 989 million, up from 829 million in the end of 2018. Apart from extended access to broadband internet connections, mobile internet took up a large share in internet user growth. The share of users accessing the internet via mobile device had significantly exceeded that of those via desktop in the country. About 98.6 percent of Chinese internet users accessed the web via mobile phone.
Penetration rate of internet users in China from 2008 to 2021
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CNNIC. (February 25, 2022). Penetration rate of internet users in China from 2008 to 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 17, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/236963/penetration-rate-of-internet-users-in-china/
CNNIC. "Penetration rate of internet users in China from 2008 to 2021." Chart. February 25, 2022. Statista. Accessed May 17, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/236963/penetration-rate-of-internet-users-in-china/
CNNIC. (2022). Penetration rate of internet users in China from 2008 to 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 17, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/236963/penetration-rate-of-internet-users-in-china/
CNNIC. "Penetration Rate of Internet Users in China from 2008 to 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 25 Feb 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/236963/penetration-rate-of-internet-users-in-china/
CNNIC, Penetration rate of internet users in China from 2008 to 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/236963/penetration-rate-of-internet-users-in-china/ (last visited May 17, 2022)