WebProNews

The number of global Internet users will increase 44 percent between 2007 and 2012, reaching 1.8 billion users, according to JupiterResearch.

In 2012 one quarter of the world's population will access the Internet on a regular basis. The growth in online populations of emerging markets will increase at double-digit rates over the next five years, leading to the expansion of the global online population.

The report says that online penetration levels will only reach levels the U.S. had in 2000 and at a minimum will lag behind developed nations by five years.

"Even though the emerging economies will have lower online penetration rates compared to the developed countries, JupiterResearch believes that they will ramp up the learning curve in adopting sophisticated online activities compared to the developing countries," said Vikram Sehgal, Research Director and lead author of the report for JupiterResearch.

Brazil, Russia, India, and China will have some of the highest growth rates. By 2011, China will have the largest number of regular Internet users in the world, with India ranking a distant third place.

"Asia will not only have the highest online growth rate compared to other regions in
the world, but will also present a substantially large pool of sophisticated online users as a market to tap into," said David Schatsky, President of JupiterResearch.