(ECNS) - China's Internet users are increasingly younger and more often have lower education levels, according to the latest report by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).
CNNIC, the country's main Internet research and administrative body, said in its 36th report that China's online population hit 668 million in June 2015, an increase of 18.94 million from the start of the year.
Of those online, 44.9 percent are female, a rise of 1.3 percent from the end of 2014.
About 79 percent of the total are aged from 10 to 39, while the online population under 20 has risen 1.1 percent.
The report also shows that users with middle school educations or lower account for 12.4 percent, up 1.3 percent from six months ago. At the same time, the number of users with college degrees or higher fell by 0.8 percent. This shift means that more people with lower education level are using the Internet.
About one in 10 users earn 2,001-3,000 yuan ($322-483) per month, and 22.4 percent have a monthly salary of 3,001-5,000 yuan, according to the report.
CNNIC also said that mobile Internet users grew by 36.8 million, with mobile phones now the main vehicle for accessing the Internet in China. Nearly nine in ten people (88.9 percent) do so via their phones.
