internet companies Photo:VCG

The total number of internet users in China has reached nearly 1.1 billion as of June 2024, an increase of 7.42 million from December 2023, with internet penetration of 78 percent, said a report released on Thursday. With teenagers and the elderly representing important sources of new users, China’s internet economy will be further driven and China’s economic recovery will be boosted, an observer said. 

The 54th Statistical Report on China's Internet Development released by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) revealed that China’s internet industry has been maintaining a strong momentum during the first half of 2024. 

The report shows that internet infrastructure continues to be enriched, with the total number of domains in China reaching 31.8 million as of June of 2024. 

As China’s digital information infrastructure continued to consolidate in the first half of this year, digital services for the benefits of the public were extensively carried out which effectively drove the growth of the number of internet users. 


Teenagers and the elderly constitute important sources of new internet users. Statistics show that teenagers aged between 10 and 19 constitute to 49 percent among the 7.42 million new internet users. The proportions of middle-aged internet users aged 50 to 59 and the elderly internet users aged 60 and above among the new internet users amounted to 15.2 percent and 20.8 percent respectively. 

According to Liu Dingding, a veteran industry observer, the overall growth rate of internet users in China have significantly slowed down since vast majority of Chinese people are already online. Thus, the two demographic groups of teenagers and the middle-aged and the elderly group constitute a new increment considering their considerable consumption capabilities.

The continued increasing rates of internet availability among these two groups will further drive the development of China’s internet economy and boost China’s economic recovery, Liu told the Global Times on Thursday. 

The report shows that short video apps play a significant role in attracting new internet users, with 37.3 percent new internet users getting access to the internet through short video apps. Instant messaging apps also contributed to 12.6 percent new internet users. 

With a series of measures further implemented to promote the convenience of payment, mobile payment services to the elderly group and the foreigners coming to China have been continuously improved. As of this June, 75.4 percent of internet users aged 60 and above in China have used online payments. During the first half of 2024, over 5 million inbound travelers used mobile payments, a fourfold increase compared with the same period of 2023. 

A total of 90 million transactions were made during the period, with 14 billion yuan ($1.97) involved. Both the figures increased seven-folds on last year. 

The report also shows that in the first half of 2024, the internet video industry has shown a vigorous development momentum with users’ demand for high-quality content continuously growing and the industry environment constantly optimizing. 

As of June, users for mini-dramas account for 52.4 percent of total internet users, while the proportions of users for short and long videos amounted to 95.5 percent and 65.2 percent respectively.