Number of mobile internet users in China 2014-2024
As of June 2024, approximately 1.1 billion people in China accessed the internet via a mobile device, up from around 1.08 billion in the first half of 2023.
A mobile-first country
Mobile internet refers to internet access via any mobile device that is connected to a wireless network. As of 2022, China had approximately 1.04 billion registered internet users, accounting for one-fifth of the world’s total. China’s mobile internet users almost doubled in the last decade. According to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the share of Chinese users accessing the internet via mobile phone had already surpassed users who accessed the internet via PC since 2014.
Smartphone usage in China
The rapid growth in smartphone and tablet user numbers has boosted mobile internet use in China. The projections indicate that over 80 percent of the Chinese population would possess a smartphone by 2026. Chinese users spent on average over seven hours each day on mobile internet. Short video apps and instant messaging were the most commonly visited services, accounting for 47 percent of the user time.
