UN sees 655m internet users

The global number of internet users is expected to reach 655 million by the end of 2002, up from 500 million at the end of 2001, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said.

Internet usage is seeing an annual rise of about 30%, equivalent to about 2.5% of the world population, UNCTAD said in its 'E-Commerce and Development Report 2002'.

A growing share of new internet users are in developing countries, which accounted for nearly a third of new internet users worldwide in 2001.

"Already Asia, excluding Japan and the Republic of Korea, added almost 21 million new users to the internet in 2001, more than North America," the report noted.

China has 56.6 million internet users, making it the second biggest internet population in the world in absolute numbers, it added.

Broken down into regions, the number of web users between 2000 and 2001 rose 44.3% in Asia, 43.4% in Africa, 33.5% in Latin America, 32.7% in Europe and 10.4% in North America.

The share of developing countries in total world e-commerce is expected to grow in coming years but still remain at 6.7%. The US accounts for just under 45%, western Europe has just under 25% and Japan just under 15%, the report said.

In Africa, only one in 118 people has internet access and business-to-business e-commerce outside South Africa remains "almost negligible", it said.