About Asia Pacific Internet Research Alliance (apira)

Highlights of the Report

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  Macau gets the highest household computer penetration rate (91.1%) as compared to other regions, followed by Taiwan (86.4%) and Korea (82.3%).
  
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  The Broadband is the most frequently used connection method in all the regions except Macau. In Macau and Chinese mainland, the Broadband usage is relatively low and there are many people using other connection methods, such as Wi-Fi and 3G.
  
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  The Internet devices become more varied and Desk-top computer is no longer the most used device in most regions. In Chinese Mainland (74.5%), Macau (85.9%) and Korea (99.7%), mobile is the most used device as compared with other devices. In Malaysia, the Internet users are more likely to use lap-top computers (66.6%).
  
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  The majority of users usually get online at home in all different regions, and also there are more and more people using the Internet in other places. In Taiwan and Korea, there are more than 50% of users getting online in other places, such as airports, train stations and High-speed rail stations.
  

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  Among five regions, Korea (84.1%) has the highest rate in Internet adoption, followed by Taiwan (79.2%).
  

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  Male proportion of Internet users is larger than female except in Macau, whose female proportion is equal to male proportion. In Malaysia, the male proportion is 56.4%, which is largest in all.
  
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  In Chinese Mainland and Malaysia, the largest group of Internet users is 15-24 age. In Taiwan, Macau and Korea, the largest group of Internet users is 25-34.
  
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  The largest group of Internet users is high /middle school degree in most regions except in Taiwan, whose largest Internet user group is bachelor/college degree, accounting for 50.7%.
  
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  In these five different regions, there are higher percentages of non-students as compared to that of students.
  
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  The biggest group of the Internet users in Malaysia falls on the second quartile, which accounts for 51.6%, while the biggest group of the Internet users in Taiwan falls on the third quartile which accounts for 29.4%.
  

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  In Taiwan, Macau and Korea, most of the Internet users have been getting online for more than five years.
  
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  On average, users in Chinese mainland use the Internet 20.5 hours per week, which is the longest as compared to the other two regions. Users in Macau and Korea use the Internet 20.3 and 15.2 hours per week respectively.
  

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  Getting Information, Communication by text and Leisure are three most major purposes for using the Internet in most regions.
  
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  Downloading/upgrading software is one of the quite important purpose for Malaysia Internet users, it is not so for users in other regions.
  

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  The Internet adoption rate among males is higher than that among females in all the four regions (Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Macau and Korea).
  
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  Taiwan and Korea both have a high Internet adoption in all age groups except those in 55 and older. In Taiwan, all of the 12-14 ages use the Internet and also in Korea, all of the 6-24 ages use the Internet.
  
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  People with a master degree/above have the highest adoption rates of the Internet in most regions.
  
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  The Internet adoption rate among students is higher than that among non-students in all the four regions (Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Macau and Korea).
  
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  In Korea, the fourth quartile household income has the highest adoption, while in Taiwan the third quartile has the highest adoption.
  

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  Males have a longer experience getting online than females in Taiwan, Macau and Korea.
  
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  In Taiwan and Macau, users in the age between 25 and 34 have longest online experience as compared to other age groups.
  
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  In Taiwan, Macau and Korea, the higher the degree of education obtained, the longer the online experience.
  
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  The non-students have more online experience than students in the three regions.
  
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  Both in Taiwan and Korea, the higher the household income, the longer the online experience.
  

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  The percentage of males getting information online is higher than that of female in Taiwan. While in Macau and Korea, it is opposite.
  
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  In Chinese Mainland and Korea, the percentage of males getting online for communication by text is higher than that of females. While in Taiwan and Macau, it is opposite.
  
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  In all the four regions (Chinese mainland, Macau, Taiwan and Korea), the percentage of males getting online for leisure is higher than that of females.
  
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  In Taiwan and Korea, males occupy a greater proportion of downloading/upgrading software online as compared to females. While in Macau, it is opposite.
  
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  In Taiwan, the proportion of people aged 55 or above getting online for information is higher than other age groups.
  
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  In Taiwan and Macau, the proportion of people aged 14 or below getting online for communication by text is lower than other age groups. In Chinese mainland and Korea, the proportion of people aged 15-24 getting online for communication is higher than other age groups.
  
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  In Taiwan and Macau, it shows that the greater the age, the lower the proportion of getting online for leisure. In Chinese Mainland, Taiwan and Macau, the proportion of people aged 14 or below getting online for leisure is the highest. In Korea, the proportion of people aged 15-24 getting online for leisure is the highest.
  
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  In Taiwan and Korea, the higher the degree of education obtained, the greater the proportion of people getting online for information.
  
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  In all these regions, the higher the degree of education obtained, the greater the proportion of getting online for communication by text.
  
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  In Taiwan, the higher the degree of education obtained, the lower the proportion of getting online for leisure.
  
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  In all the three regions (Taiwan, Macau and Korea), there are a higher percentage of non-students getting online for information as compared to that of students.
  
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  In Taiwan and Macau, a higher percentage of non-students get online for communication as compared to that of students. However, in Korea, it is opposite. In Chinese mainland, the percentage of non-students getting online for leisure is equal to that of students.
  
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  In all the three regions (Taiwan, Macau and Korea), there are a higher percentage of non-students getting online for information as compared to that of students.
  

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  With respect to the trust of the Internet, a great proportion of people in Taiwan give an “affirmative” answer while In Macau a great proportion of people give an "Average" answer.
  

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  The main reason for not using the Internet in all the regions (Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Macau, Malaysia and Korea) is “lack of skills”.