China's Internet Users Exceeded 1 Billion for the First Time

On August 27, the China Internet Information Center (CNNIC) announced the 48th "China's Internet Development Statistics Report." According to the report, as of the end of June 2021, China's Internet penetration rate was 71.6%, and the number of users increased by 8% (49.76 million) from the same period of the previous year to 1.011 billion, reaching billion for the first time. Among them, the number of users in rural areas was 297 million, and the penetration rate increased by 3.3 points from December 2020 to 59.2%. In addition, due to the effects of the COVID-19, the number of consumers who spend more time at home using the Internet increased by 15% from the same period of the previous year to 468 million. It has been revealed that the social influence of the Internet is increasing with the spread of online shopping and cashless payment services in China. In the background, the Chinese government announced that it will implement the "Data Security Law" on September 1 and the "Personal Information Protection Law" on November 1, strengthening online management.

Sources: Nihon Keizai Shimbun "The number of Internet users in China has Exceeded 1 Billion.Authorities have Tightened Control" (August 27, 2021)
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