92%
Internet penetration in China in 2024, the latest available observation in this series.
Internet penetration history · CHN
China internet penetration over time
The latest verified observation is 92% in 2024. The available series begins at 0% in 1990, a net change of 92 percentage points.
33 VERIFIED OBSERVATIONS · ITU VIA WDIQuick answers
+92 pp
Change between the first available observation in 1990 and the latest in 2024.
+27.9 pp
From 2019 to 2024, the observed rate changed by 27.9 percentage points, from 64.1% to 92%.
The first observation at or above 50% is 2015 (50.3%). The first observation at or above 75% is 2022 (75.6%).
Historical trend
Each point is an official observation returned by World Bank WDI for IT.NET.USER.ZS. Lines connect observed points for readability; they do not create data for missing years.
Year-by-year internet penetration
| Year | Internet users |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 92% |
| 2023 | 90.6% |
| 2022 | 75.6% |
| 2021 | 73.1% |
| 2020 | 70.1% |
| 2019 | 64.1% |
| 2018 | 65.4% |
| 2017 | 54.3% |
| 2016 | 53.2% |
| 2015 | 50.3% |
| 2014 | 47.9% |
| 2013 | 45.8% |
| 2012 | 42.3% |
| 2011 | 38.3% |
| 2010 | 34.3% |
| 2009 | 28.9% |
| 2008 | 22.6% |
| 2007 | 16% |
| 2006 | 10.5% |
| 2005 | 8.5% |
| 2004 | 7.3% |
| 2003 | 6.2% |
| 2002 | 4.6% |
| 2001 | 2.6% |
| 2000 | 1.8% |
| 1999 | 0.7% |
| 1998 | 0.2% |
| 1997 | 0% |
| 1996 | 0% |
| 1995 | 0% |
| 1994 | 0% |
| 1993 | 0% |
| 1990 | 0% |
Download historical JSON → · Download historical CSV → · Compare countries →
What this measure means
On World Discovery, “internet penetration rate” and “internet users” both refer to the share of individuals who used the internet, matching World Development Indicators code IT.NET.USER.ZS. It is a population-use measure; it is not the same as fixed-broadband subscriptions, mobile subscriptions, connection speed or household access.
Compare internet users by country and year → · Explore the 2024 internet-use ranking →
Internet penetration here means individuals using the internet (% of population). It is reported as % of population. The indicator definition is: Individuals who have used the Internet from any location in the last 3 months.
This series is useful for questions such as “How has internet access changed in China?” and “What is China’s latest internet penetration rate?” It does not estimate people missing from the official observations.
Compare China with similar regional rates
These East Asia & Pacific countries have the closest latest observed internet-penetration rates in the same verified history dataset. The links are based on data proximity, not a claim of social or economic similarity.
Thailand
90.9% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with China.
New Zealand
93.5% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with China.
Macao SAR, China
89.8% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with China.
Singapore
94.4% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with China.
China in East Asia & Pacific
Among the 26 countries from East Asia & Pacific present in this verified 2024 dataset, China ranks 8th. Its 92% observation is 7.4 percentage points above the regional median of 84.6%. This comparison only describes countries present in this same-year dataset.
Closest same-region observations: Thailand (90.9%) · New Zealand (93.5%) · Macao SAR, China (89.8%).
Source and methodology
Indicator: IT.NET.USER.ZS — Individuals using the Internet (% of population).
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, surfaced through World Bank World Development Indicators (WDI), Indicators API v2. License: CC BY-4.0.
Values are kept at their official observation years. Missing years are not backfilled, averaged or interpolated. This page is a historical observation series, not a revision comparison.
Keep exploring
Countries to compare with China
Move through the 2024 ranking or compare China with nearby values in East Asia & Pacific.
Kyrgyz Republic
92% in 2024 · 0 percentage points higher than China.
Uruguay
92% in 2024 · 0 percentage points lower than China.
Thailand
90.9% in 2024 · 1.1 percentage points lower than China.
New Zealand
93.5% in 2024 · 1.5 percentage points higher than China.