Since the internet became a global phenomenon, its popularity has only continued to grow. People all around the world are using their computers and mobile phones to access the internet every day, and we can see that from the internet usage statistics. Even though these might not be something you check out regularly, statistics about internet usage can give us great insight into our society.
Internet users in 2019
In 2019, the number of internet users all around the world experienced steady growth and reached 4.2 billion people. The number will continue to grow throughout 2020 as more and more people connect over the internet. Some statistics show that there were more than 1 million new users every day. This means that there were about 11 new users every second and some predictions state that in 2020 abound 3/4 of the planet will have access to the internet. China continues to be the country with the highest number of internet users with its 850 million.
Mobile phones
Ever since we started using smartphones and androids, we have also slowly switched to using the internet over our phones rather than on PCs. This probably has to do with our busy schedules and hectic routines and neverending responsibilities – we prefer to use something on the go that saves us a lot of time rather than sit down work on the computer. In 2019, mobile’s share of the total time spent on the internet was about 50%, and it is believed that this number will grow in 2020.
Time spent on the internet
An internet user in 2019 spent on average about 6 and a half hours a day on the internet. This might seem outrageous, but seeing how all our devices are interconnected and how we use the internet for all aspects of our life, from education and work to entertainment, it is not that surprising that we spend so much time online. This doesn’t mean that we constantly chat with friends or scroll down social media sites.
Most popular sites
The number one most popular site is Google. There’s no surprise here as Google has been dominating the internet ever since it stepped on the scene. The second most popular website was Youtube, which has experienced steady growth in the past couple of years. Since Youtube has expanded and now offers a chance to make a living as a Youtuber, many younger people have been spending all of their free time watching or filming videos for Youtube. Facebook comes in third – although this is not the social media platform with the most users, it is the most frequently visited one.
Social media
In the world, there are 3.5 billion people who have a social media account. This means that less than 1 billion of all internet users in the world do not have social media. Each of those people on average spends 2 hours and 15 minutes on those sites. Out of the most popular platforms, Facebook and Instagram continue to grow in popularity while Twitter is experiencing minor drops in the number of people present.
E-commerce
Online shopping is still a newly accepted concept and even though some people are still hesitant, it has experienced a growth in the number of people taking a part in it. Beauty and Clothes continue to be the most shopped category, but technology and gadgets are in a close second.