China has the world’s largest Internet population – and it’s not even close

You remember that one-time myth that if the entire population of China would simultaneously jump and land at the same time, the Earth’s axis would move?That has long been proven to be inaccurate, but that doesn’t take away the fact that the myth was grounded on the reality that China’s population is, without question, the biggest in the world. Take that in today’s technology-centric world and it looks like Chinese billions-strong population is once again flexing its proverbial muscle.In a recent study conducted by the fine folks of Statista, a number of compelling – and eye-popping, might we add – facts about the sheer number of Chinese Internet users have come to light. And for our money’s worth, the numbers Statista was able to compile was staggering.

According to Statista, over 500 million Chinese people are Internet users. 500 million. 5 with eight 0’s after it. To put that into perspective, the US has a population of just over 400 million. That’s all the men, women, and babies alive in the Land of the Free. Yep. China has more Internet users than the US has PEOPLE!

On the average, Chinese Internet users spend 18.7 hours a week online, a number that’s right in the same stratosphere as American Internet users, who spend 19.5 hours a week online.

A good chunk of Chinese Internet users – 24.9% – are also fond of going to web portals, followed closely by search and directories at 23.8%, online communities at 14.3%, and online video at 8.9%. Online shopping, which has a share of 7.2%, is expected to take up a bigger piece of the pie in the coming years, as evidenced by the growing number of online shoppers in the country totalling 145 million, only second to America’s 170 million e-shoppers.

Take all this staggering information into context and it’s easy to see why everybody is just salivating at the mouth in trying to penetrate the Chinese market, including the online gambling industry.

These numbers were taken recently, which means that you can expect those figures to jump across the board in the coming years. We’re left speechless with 500 million people; imagine the day when that number is doubled in the Chinese market alone.

Those people may not make the Earth move when they all jump simultaneously, but they sure are making a case for being the most powerful online market in the coming years.

That, in itself, is reason for all of us to think what could be if they do decide to legalize online gambling in their country.