China internet users totaled 731 million as of Dec 2016, an addition of 42.99 million from Dec 2015. Internet penetration rate reached 53.2%, up 2.9 percentage points from 2015.

China mobile internet users totaled 695 million as of Dec 2016, an increase of 75.5 million from Dec 2015 and 95.1% of total internet users.

Rural areas have 201 million internet users, accounting for 27.4% of all China internet users.

60.1% and 36.8% of China internet users connect to the internet via desktop and laptop respectively; mobile devices 95.1%; tablets 31.5%; and, TV 25%.

Mobile online payment users continued to grow in 2016 and reached 469 million, an increase of 31.2% YoY. The proportion of China internet users making mobile online payment increased to 67.5% in 2016 from 57.7% in 2015. 50.3% of China internet users use mobile devices for payment in offline retail stores.

China internet car-hailing users reached 168 million, an increase of 46.16 million or 37.9% from June 2016.

45.3% of Chinese companies deployed online sales activities; 45.6% online purchase; and, 38.7% online marketing. The number of public listed internet companies in China reached 91 with a total market value of 5.4 trillion yuan. The combined market value of Alibaba and Tencent exceeded 3 trillion yuan in 2016.

Download China Internet Statistics Whitepaper 2017 (free) or China Internet Insights (E-Book) here.

Also read: Top WeChat stats and trends 2016

The number of mobile phone users reached 1.306 billion as of the end of December 2015 according to Ministry of Industry and Technology of China. The mobile phone user penetration rate reached 95.5 handsets among every 100 persons compared with 94.5 in 2014.

China 4G network users increased largely in 2015. China 2G mobile phone users decreased by 183 million users which accounted for only 39.9% of total mobile phone users. However, China 4G mobile phone users increased by about 289 million to 386 million users, according to about 29.6% of total mobile phone users.

The total number of fixed phone users shrank to 231 million with 18.434 million users lose in 2015. Only 16.9 in 100 persons used landline phones in China. The Chinese tended to become “mobile” with the smart handsets and development of useful mobile apps.

China’s mobile phone internet users reached 620 million as of December 2015 according to CNNIC. About 90.1% of internet users accessed the internet through mobile phones and 127 million internet user accessed to the internet only through mobile phones. The number of Chinese internet users reached 688 million as of December 2015. The internet penetration rate reached 50.3% in China in 2015.

Also read: 1/4 China Smartphone Users Install Foreign Apps

25% more rural shoppers than tier-1 and tier-2 city dwellers report feeling more ‘empowered’ and see themselves as ‘online gurus’ who are eager to be the first to try out new products.

Growth in online shopping in counties and villages in China has outpaced those in cities, becoming a new engine that is further driving China’s domestic consumption, according to research from Alibaba Group.

In Q2 2012, China’s online shopping on Taobao by people in rural areas accounted for 7.11% of total; by Q2 2014, the rate increased to 8.3%. Online shopping is a rising trend in rural China. Read an overview of rural China’s e-commerce market here.

Related: Tips for Reaching China Rural Consumers for E-commerce Marketing

Check out photos of how China Internet companies advertise in rural areas here.

Read more: 74% Chinese Rural Residents Willing to Travel in 2014

Internet is now the important method for Chinese people to social and for information to spread. According to the report released by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, over 90% China urban households own more than one network device in 2014.

The report shows that 93.8% China urban households own more than one network device and 53.94% respondents were engaged in spreading information online.

In 2018, China internet’s penetration will exceed 90%. eMarketer estimates that by 2018, China internet female and male users will be about half to half which indicates female internet users’ penetration rate will be much high since there are fewer female in China.

GlobalWebIndex data showed that 65% of netizen worldwide accessed internet via mobile phone, while the percentage was even higher in specific country-China had 83% mobile internet penetration with approximately 383 million netizens.

Also read: Chinese Female Internet Users Insight

China is the biggest internet market in the world by penetration rate, estimated by eMarketer. In 2018, China internet’s penetration will exceed 90%.

In 2014, China sex ratio among internet users are 126 men to every 100 women according to data of eMarketer. It estimates that by 2018, China internet female and male users will be about half to half which indicates female internet users’ penetration rate will be much high since there are fewer female in China. 

75% of Chinese families’ consumption is decided by women and their influence is extended to internet and mobile internet. Chinese female internet users are showing great potential nowadays.

The internet penetration rate among China’s young adults is relatively high in 2014. 80% of China internet users who are between 18 and 34 years old access internet every month. The data also shows the old who are over 60 years old also use internet a lot in China nowadays. It is estimated that the penetration among all age groups will all increase through 2018.

In China rural areas, the internet penetration rate is rising. As of December 2013, internet users in rural China were 177 million; and 149 million users were mobile Internet users. The internet usage with mobile phone accounted for 84.6% in rural China, which had 5% higher than in cities.

Also read: China Mobile Internet Statistics 2014