Number of mobile internet users in China 2007-2024
As of 2024, China reported having 14 million new mobile internet users, totaling 1.1 billion people having access to the internet via mobile devices.
A mobile-first country
Mobile internet refers to accessing the internet via any mobile device connected to a wireless network. China’s registered internet users account for one-fifth of the world’s total, and its 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 has already surpassed those 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.
