According to the China Internet Network Information Center report released on January 18, Internet users in China has skyrocketed to 8.9 million. The Report provides information on the number and distribution of users and the development of Internet businesses. Among the 8.9 million users, 79 percent are male and 64 percent are single. The number of Net users are young people aged between 18 and 30. They spend an average of 17 hours on the net each week. Beijing leads the country in the number of people who surf the net, accounting for more than 20 percent of surfers across China.

More than half of Net users surf to access information and news. The most popular Internet service among Chinese net users is e-mail. China now has 35.6 million e-mail boxes. 26.7 million are hotmail.

Less than two percent of Net users pay their bills via the Internet.

The CNNIC carried out the survey in December last year and received more than 360,000 questionnaires. The survey is conducted twice a year. Findings are published in January and July each year.(Xinhua)