Worldwide Internet usage reached one billion people on December 2005. This represents approximately 15.7% of the total world population.

Growth
in all countries and regions of the world shows a healthy increase in
the last five years.

Worldwide Internet usage reached and surpassed the first billion
people on December 2005, according to data compiled by the Internet
World Stats web site. Growth in all countries and regions of the world
shows an increase of 182% between 2000 and 2005.

Presently 1,018 million people use the Internet, this represents
approximately 15.7% of total world population. Detailed distribution
and growth by world regions can be seen at the Big Picture Stats page.
It is interesting to observe that the less penetrated parts of the
world, which are Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the
Caribbean, show the largest growth rates during the five year period
analyzed by Internet World Stats.

The Middle East region possesses the highest growth rate, 454.2%,
users having increased from 3,284,800 to 18,203,500 million people.
Next in growth is Africa with 403.7%, where usage increased from
4,514,400 to 22,737,500 million people. Latin America and the
Caribbean also exhibit an important five year increase from 18,068,919
to 79,033,597 Internet users, equivalent to 337.4% in growth.

Internet users in Asia increased by 249,967,713 people, the largest
growth in absolute terms. Europe increased by 185,025,864 people,
equivalent to a 176.1% growth, in the five year period studied.
Oceania and Northern America, the more mature Internet usage regions,
exhibit the lowest growth rates, 134.8% and 108.9%. For further
details, visit Internet World Stats.

The above information corresponds to data duly sourced and compiled by
the Miniwatts Marketing Group, a market research firm located in
Bogota, Colombia that has published the Internet World Stats for over
five years.