Internet Use Lags behind in Rural Areas

19/08/2016

China has 710 million Internet users as of June 2016, accounting for 51.7% of its total population. Image: ce.cn

Chinese Internet use has increased steadily from 2012 to 2016. Image: CNNIC

Comparison of Chinese Internet users between urban and rural areas in 2015 and 2016. Image: CNNIC

Ever-increasing Internet use in China has reached more than the total number of the United States, India and Japan combined. 

China has 710 million Internet users as of June, accounting for 51.7% of its total population, exceeding the global average by 3.1%, and representing 22% of the world Internet users according to an official report released by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) on 3 August 2016.

Internet penetration in China's urban area accounts for 73.1% which is similar to Hong Kong, Israel and Russia, though it is still left behind by post industrial nations such as the U.S, U.K, Japan, the Scandinavian countries as well as the Arab oil states. 

However the report noted that 191 million people, nearly 27 % total Internet users in China, were from rural areas, marking a huge gap in the Internet penetration rate between urban and rural areas. The main reason according to the report is that villagers lack Internet and computer knowledge.

The number of people using smart phones to surf the Internet reached 656 million, accounting for 92.5 % of Internet users which marks mobile phone the main access to Internet.

An Internet user is defined as an individual who has access to the Internet at home, via computer or mobile device. This indicator does not record use, or frequency of use, but only access.



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