Number of Internet users in China continues to rise
中国网民数量持续上涨

The number of Internet users in China is continuing to increase, according to the China Internet Network Information Center.

The center says in a mid-year report that by the end of June, there were 668 million Internet users in China. The report says nearly 49 percent of China's population now goes online. That is an increase of nearly 1 percent from six months ago.

The report also says that the number of female Internet users has increased slightly faster than the average growth, though 55 out of every 100 Internet users are men and 45 are women.

About 89 percent of China's Internet users get their online access through mobile devices—an increase of more than 3 percent from six months ago. More than 85 percent of the users have opted for faster options such as 3G and 4G networks.

The average amount of time Internet users spend online every week is 25 hours and 36 minutes—30 minutes less compared to six months ago.

The report also says that 91 percent of Internet users have used at least one online chat application, 56 percent of all users have shopped online, and 54 percent made online payments in the first half of 2015.