Nielsen NetRatings: Worldwide Internet population grows slightly

More than 553 million people worldwide have Internet access, according to the latest study from Nielsen-Netratings.

Globally, the number of people with access to the Internet via a home PC increased from 531 million in the first quarter of 2002 to 553 million in the second quarter.

This is equivalent to a four percent growth rate over the previous quarter.

According to Nielsen-Netratings, the US has the largest Internet population, accounting for 30 percent of the global access universe.

Around 166.4 million Americans have Internet access, compared to 32.6 million Germans, 29 million in the UK and 22.7 million in Italy.

Europe accounts for 24 percent of the global access universe, while Asia-Pacific accounts for 14 percent and Latin America, three percent.

Markets not covered under the Nielsen-Netratings measurement account for the remaining 29 percent of Internet users.

The survey indicates that Hong Kong leads the world in high-speed Internet connections, followed by Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Spain.

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