Number of mobile internet users in China 2012-2022

This statistic shows the number of mobile internet users in China from 2012 to 2022. By December 2022, nearly 1.07 billion people in China accessed the internet via a mobile device, up from around 1.03 billion in the end of 2021.

A mobile-first country

Mobile internet refers to internet access via any mobile device that is connected to a wireless network. As of 2022, China had approximately 1.04 billion registered internet users, accounting for one-fifth of the world’s total. The number of China’s mobile internet users grew nearly nine fold from 2007 to 2013. According to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the share of Chinese users accessing the internet via mobile phone had already surpassed users who accessed the internet via PC since 2014.

A mobile-first country

The rapid growth in smartphone and tablet user numbers has boosted mobile internet use in China. The projections show that over 70 percent of the Chinese population would possess a smartphone by 2023. China’s mobile internet users can be characterized as young, predominantly with a lower-to-medium level income. Compared to their counterparts in Western countries, Chinese mobile internet users are more prone to conduct online shopping or online banking activities via mobile device, suggesting a huge potential of China’s mobile commerce market. As mobile phones have a profound influence on people’s daily lives in China, even more mobile commerce innovation is expected to emerge in the near future.