iamasia Releases Survey Findings Showing 12.3 Million Internet Users in China

The number of Internet users in China has reached 12.3 million people,(1) according to findings released today by Internet measurement specialist iamasia (Interactive Audience Measurement Asia).
iamasia's figures place Hong Kong's Internet population at 1.85 million, or 37 per cent of all people aged between 12 and 60. The city in China with the highest level of Internet penetration is Beijing (25 per cent).
In China, 5.7 million people use the Internet at home and 5.0 million use the Internet at work.(2) In Hong Kong, there are 1.52 million home users and 610,000 work users.
These findings are published this week in iamasia's NetKnowledge China and NetKnowledge Hong Kong reports, which provide in-depth intelligence on the size, composition and characteristics of Internet users in these geographies.
Earlier this month, iamasia and Reston, Va. based PC Data announced a partnership that will enable iamasia to leverage PC Data technology for future panel-based measurement services, and which will enable both companies to provide a global product offering.
Kevin Tan, CEO of iamasia, said: "Today's announcement represents the culmination of months of exhaustive, painstaking fieldwork in Hong Kong and across China. Our insistence on highly-rigorous survey methodology, including random sampling, guarantees that this is the most accurate and up-to-date information ever gathered on Internet users in the region."
iamasia's figures show that the Internet is still a relatively new phenomenon in China, with 56 per cent of current users having begun using the Internet within the last 12 months. (In contrast, more than 70 per cent of Internet users in Hong Kong have been doing so for more than a year.)
The Internet population is still dominated by men (62 per cent in China and 58 per cent in Hong Kong), although the gender gap is narrowing with more and more women coming online. China's user base is young, with 63 per cent between the ages of 15 and 29, versus 24 per cent between the ages of 30 and 44. (In Hong Kong, the equivalent numbers are 48 per cent and 38 per cent respectively.)
Also included in iamasia's NetKnowledge reports is brand-new insight on attitudes toward and penetration of consumer e-commerce. Five per cent of Internet users in China have made a purchase online, compared with 15 per cent in Hong Kong. Books, groceries (especially for women) and computer hardware and software (especially for men) are the top sellers.
"iamasia has taken the guesswork out of sizing and understanding the Internet user base," said Ann Stephens, chairman and CEO of PC Data Online. "These new reports are the definitive source of information on Internet- population demographics and preferences in the Greater China region."
Summary
Sampling universe: Random-digit-dial respondents between the ages of 12 and 60.
An Internet user is defined as someone who has used the Internet within the past four weeks.
China Hong Kong
Total number of Internet users 12.3m 1.85m
Number of Internet users at home 5.7m 1.52m
Number of Internet users at work 5.0m 610,000
Percentage of Internet users that are male 62% 58%
Percentage of Internet users between
the ages of 15 and 29 63% 48%
Percentage of Internet users between the
ages of 30 and 44 24% 38%
Internet penetration (Internet users as a
percentage of total population) 25% 37%
(Beijing)
Percentage of Internet users who began
using the Internet within the last 12 months 56% 29%
Percentage of Internet users that have
purchased online 5% 15%
Top-selling items for online purchase * Books
* Groceries
(especially women)
* Computer hardware and
software
(especially men)
About iamasia
Founded in Hong Kong in 1999, iamasia is the foremost source of intelligence on Internet usage in the Asia Pacific region. The first company to deliver objective, user-based audience measurement information for Greater China, iamasia's fresh, accurate and in-depth data empowers anyone doing business on the Internet in Asia Pacific to make better-informed business decisions.
About PC Data
PC Data was established in 1991 and is a leading source of computer hardware, software and gaming intelligence and data. Its PC Data Online division is a leading provider of web traffic measurement and analysis. Through its 120,000 U.S. home Internet panel, PC Data Online also fields custom, state-of-the-art Internet based surveys. PC Data Online also has operative sample online panels in Australia, Canada and Europe.