The 55th Statistical Report on China’s Internet Development

China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC)

Background

Since 1997, the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC) has carried out the Statistical Survey on the Internet Development in China and regularly released the Statistical Report on China’s Internet Development (hereinafter referred to as the “Report”) at the beginning and middle of each year. Ever since then, CNNIC has published 54 reports. These reports present a statistical analysis of the process of building China’s strength in cyberspace. They have provided an essential reference for Chinese government departments, domestic and international industry institutions, experts, scholars, and the general public on the development of China’s Internet.

In 2024, China marked the 30th anniversary of its full Internet connection and continued efforts to deepen the integration of the real and digital economies. China’s Internet sector has made significant advances in the netizen base and Internet applications. The Internet has given full play to the driving role of network infrastructure, data connection and technology, promoting the deep integration of real economic activities, such as agriculture, industry, transport and communications, commercial services and the cultural sector, with digital technologies and digital forms.

As the Internet has contributed to the transformation and upgrading of the real economy, the economy has been steadily recovering and trending upward. China has met the targets and objectives of the 14th Five-Year Plan to a high standard, laying a solid foundation for a strong start to the 15th Five-Year Plan.

CNNIC, a national team of basic Internet resources, has continued to strengthen its industry research capability, has followed China’s Internet development for many years, has gained insights into industry trends, and has supported scientific decision-making. These Reports focus on four aspects: basic Internet resources, Internet user base, Internet applications, and e-government. From a multi-pronged perspective, CNNIC has worked to comprehensively demonstrate the development of China’s Internet in 2024 through all-around data.

We hereby express our heartfelt thanks to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, and other departments for their guidance on the Reports. We would also like to express our sincere thanks to other institutions and Internet users who have supported this statistical survey.

January 2025