China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) July 17 published its statistics report on development of Internet in China, which shows that the growth speed of netizen number has slowed down but that of women netizen number has surged.
The survey mainly covers computer number and users on the Internet, number of domain names and distribution, bandwidth of Internet exports and number of www sites and distribution; general conditions of net surfers; as well as their habits in using Internet and their views on some big events.
Latest statistics indicate by June 30, 2001 Chinese netizens numbered 26.5 million, of which 4.54 million access via leased line, 17.93 million dialing up and 4.03 million both. Around 1.07 million people surfed the Internet with devices besides computers. While by 31 December 2000, Chinese netizens had reached 22.5 million. This means that in half a year netizen number only grew 4 million, or 17.8 percent, much lower than that in later half of 2000 (5.6 million).
The chief purposes for surfing Internet are: seek information (including news), 42.9 percent; leisure and recreation (chatting and making friends), 34.4 percent; for work, 5.8 percent; and for studies, 4.3 percent.
There are around 10.02m computers on the Internet in China, of which 1.63 million via leased line and 8.39 via dial-up accession.
Growth of women netizens maintained a fast pace. Of 26.5 million netizens, 61.3 percent is male and 38.7 percent is women with the proportion standing at 1.6:1. While during the same period last year only 25.32 percent were women.
About 52.9 percent netizens are aged between 18 and 30. While surfers above 35 grew steadily and 1.2 percent are above 60 years of age.
Surfers with college degree (or above) dropped nearly 5 percent over last yearend to 35.8 percent, indicating that the Internet is drawing closer to the general public.
(People's Daily 07/18/2001)
