New Survey Findings Show 12.3 Million Internet Users in China 15/6/00 The number of Internet users in China has reached 12.3 million people, (between the ages of 12 and 60) according to findings from specialist agency, iamasia (Interactive Audience Measurement Asia). Hong Kong's Internet population is placed at 1.85 million, or 37% of all people aged between 12 and 60. These findings are published in iamasia's NetKnowledge China and NetKnowledge Hong Kong reports, which provide indepth intelligence on the size, composition and characteristics of Internet users in this region. According to Kevin Tan, CEO of iamasia, "This announcement is the culmination of months of exhaustive, painstaking fieldwork in Hong Kong and across China. Our insistence on highly-rigorous survey methodology, including random sampling, guarantees that this is the most accurate and up-to-date information ever gathered on Internet users in the region." iamasia's figures show that the Internet is still a relatively new phenomenon in China, with 56% of current users having begun using the Internet within the last 12 months. (In contrast, more than 70% of Internet users in Hong Kong have been logging on for more than a year.) The Internet population is still dominated by men (62% in China and 58% in Hong Kong), although the gender gap is narrowing with more and more women coming online. China's user base is young, with 63% between the ages of 15 and 29, versus 24% between the ages of 30 and 44. (In Hong Kong, the equivalent numbers are 48% and 38% respectively.) The reports also show that 5% of Internet users in China have made a purchase online, compared with 15% in Hong Kong. Books, groceries (especially for women) and computer hardware and software (especially for men) are the top sellers.