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Who's Using the Web: Global Internet User Demographics

 
The number of global Internet users is constantly expanding. The Computer Industry almanac has reported that by the year 2002, 490 million people around the world will have Internet access.

The US has an overwhelming lead in Internet users with more than 110 million projected by the end of the 20th century, which is approximately 40 percent of the total 259 million worldwide Internet users.

Internet Users/Year-end 1999
1. US 110,825,000
2. Japan 18,156,000
3. UK 13,975,000
4. Canada 13,277,000
5. Germany 12,285,000
6. Australia 6,837,000
7. Brazil 6,790,000
8. China 6,308,000
9. France 5,696,000
10. South Korea 5,688,000
11. Taiwan 4,790,000
12. Italy 4,745,000
13. Sweden 3,950,000
14. Netherlands 2,933,000
15. Spain 2,905,000

The fastest growing groups of Web users are those under 18 and those over 55 years of age. The growth of use by the over 55 age group is attributed to the new wealth of financial information available online.

Entertainment Websites represent 14 percent of online time. By contrast Education represents only 1 percent of online time. Communications occupies nearly one-quarter of online time, while 84 percent of online users regularly use E-mail. More than 40 percent visit online chat rooms.

More that one-quarter of online users visit adult sites.

Commercial sites are the fastest growing sector on the Internet due to businesses and organizations discovering the vast audience they can reach seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year, at just a fraction of the cost of other advertising media.

For more "Up-to-date" Data follow these Links to Internet User Demographics
StatMarket A well organized site with "the most accurate source of data on Internet user trends". Get detailed daily global usage data, complete with charts and graphs, on browsers, OS's, screen resolutions, plugins and much more.
Graphic Visualization & Usability Center Since it's beginning in 1994, the GVU WWW User Survey has accumulated a unique store of historical and up-to-date information on the growth and trends in Internet usage. It is valued as an independent, objective view of developing Web demographics, culture, user attitudes, and usage patterns. Recently the focus of the Survey has been expanded to include commercial uses of the Web, including advertising, electronic commerce, intranet Web usage, and business-to-business transactions.
Library of Congress Internet Resource Page The Library of Congress page with links to numerous Internet Statistics and Demographics
Nua Internet Surveys Numerous links and analysis from this well organized and up-to-date site regarding Internet usage patterns
E-Commerce Research Room Data with brief descriptions of links to online articles of interest to the burgeoning e-market

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