(ECNS) -- The majority of active Weibo accounts are owned by the "triple low" population – those in the lower brackets of education, age, and income.
The "triple low" demographic structure has remained consistent from 2013 to 2014, according to the Annual Report on Development of New Media in China (2014), which was released on Wednesday. The report was drafted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Nearly 80 percent of Weibo users are young people. About 88.70 million, or 28.92 percent, are in their 20s while 80.56 million, or 26.26 percent, are teenagers. Approximately another 72.12 million, or 23.51 percent, are in their 30s. These cohorts of young people between 10 and 39 years of age make up a combined 78.69 percent of all active Weibo users. Young people also significantly lead the pool in regards to other user statistics, including total log-ins, webpage clicks and time spent on Weibo.
In general, the educational level of active Weibo users is limited, with approximately 70 percent having no more than a high school education. Approximately 96.98 million, or 31.62 percent, of users finish up with a high school diploma, approximately 81.37 million have a middle school certificate, and another 41.13 million users have a primary school education only.
However, it is suggested that the overall educational level of Weibo users is consistent with the current educational level of Chinese society.
Over 15 percent of Weibo users have at least a bachelor degree. Despite a limited population, they accounted for 21.71 percent of log-ins, 20.71 percent of webpage clicks, and 26.26 percent of time spent on Weibo in 2014, which is significantly higher than the numbers in 2013 (14.4 percent, 15.6 percent and 16.1 percent respectively).
Some 9.93 percent of Weibo users make at least 5000 yuan (about $806) per month. The remaining 90.07 percent earn less. Another 88.99 percent of Weibo users have no income, making them the single largest cohort regarding earnings.
