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Marketing in the internet – as seen from Italy


No. 76-77 – March 31, 2006

 

 
Other articles on similar subjects
are published in English
in the Offline column
 

 


loghino.gif (1071 byte) Growth and difference


This issue of NetMarketing combines two (76 and 77) of the Italian edition. It summarizes the situation of data on internet development at year end 2005 – and, as in the cases of several previous issues, it will remain here as a “historical” reference when the files in the data section are updated.

Of course there is no exact “certainty” in any statistics. But this series of analyses, that has been going on for ten years, can help to trace some relevant trends over time.

The evolution is complex, but some things are clear. One is that the internet continues to grow with considerable speed. In year 2005 hostcount figures increased 24 percent worldwide – and even faster (33 percent) in Europe.

Another fact is that we are still far behind any conceivable “saturation threshhold”. There is remarkably fast growth also in those countries that already have the highest levels of internet activity.

However, the situation remains seriously unbalanced. Some areas that were traditionally “weak” show substantial improvement. A “big” example is India – the fastest growing country in the internet worldwide in 2004-2005, though still far below its potential. But a large part of the world remains very weakly connected, if not totally isolated.


In this issue, as in March 2005, in addition to a summary of international and European developments, we see aso some data on the situation of the internet in Latin America, Asia and Africa.


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loghino.gif (1071 byte) 2. New international data


Nearly 400 million internet hosts were found active worldwide at the end of 2005. (The total exceeded 100 million in year 2000, 200 in 2003 and 300 in 2004).

This is the growth from 1994 to 2005 (there are more details in international data.)


  Number
of hosts
annual
growth
1994 5,800,000 + 119 %
1995 12,900,000 + 104 %
1996 21,800,000 + 52 %
1997 29,700,000 + 36 %
1998 42,200,000 + 46 %
1999 72,400,000 + 68 %
2000 109,600,000 + 51 %
2001 147,300,000 + 35 %
2002 171,600,000 + 17 %
2003 233,100,000 + 36 %
2004 317,646,000 + 36 %
2005 394,992,000 + 24 %


There have been variations in speed, but the growth of the internet continues to be very fast. This chart shows the broad picture by “large geographic areas”.


Large geographic areas 

geographic 
areas


The general picture hasn’t changed, compared to past years. The internet isn’t “global”. A large part of the world has scarce access. North America and Europe, with 19 percent of the population, have 87 percent of the worldwide activity on the internet.

The continent (outside North America) with the highest density is Oceania-Pacific, that has over 200 internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants. The average in Europe is over 100. In Latin America it is 20 (in spite of growth, still below the world average). In Asia 9.4 and in Africa 1 per thousand.

In 1999 there were six countries worldwide with over a million internet hosts (two in Europe). In 2000 they were ten (four in Europe). In 2001 thirteen (six in Europe). Seventeen (nine in Europe) in 2002 and twenty in 2003. Now there are twentysix – sixteen in Europe, five in the Americas, four in Asia and one in Oceania.

The countries with over three million internet hosts were two in 2001, eight in 2003 and thirteen in 2005. Ten countries (five in Europe) now have over five million.

This table updates the data for the 34 countries (of 240) with over 500,000 internet hosts.


  Number of hosts
December 2005
% growth
in a year
% of
  total  
Per 1000
inhab.
United States 233,000,000 + 21.9 59.0 793.5
Japan 24,903,759 + 27.4 6.3 195.1
Germany 9,852,798 + 60.8 2.5 119.4
United Kingdom * 9,800,000 n,a,   2.5 164.3
Italy * 9,600,000 + 20.1 2.4 164.2
Netherlands 7,258,159 + 12.6 1.8 446.4
France 6,863,156 + 37.2 1.7 113.8
Australia 6,039,486 + 25.3 1.5 299.3
Canada * 6,000,000 n,a,   1.5 187.8
Brazil 5,094,730 + 29.2 1.3 28.8
Spain * 4,800,000 n.a.   1.2 112.3
Taiwan 3,943,555 + 12.2 1.0 173.8
Poland 3,941,769 + 58.8 1.0 103.2
Sweden 3,100,000 + 5.6 0.8 344.8
Mexico 2,555,047 + 36.7 0.6 26.2
Belgium 2,546,148 + 26.5 0.6 244.4
Finland 2,505,805 + 30.8 0.6 478.5
Denmark 2,316,370 + 21.4 0.6 429.2
Switzerland 2,125,269 + 19.0 0.5 297.3
Norway 2,109,283 + 54.1 0.5 457.9
Austria 1,957,154 + 22.8 0.5 241.5
Russia 1,656,352 + 43.1 0.4 11.4
South Korea * 1,500,000 n.a.   0.4 32.6
Argentina 1,464,719 + 39.4 0.4 40.4
Portugal 1,378,817 + 127.7 0.3 131.6
Israel 1,212,264 + 20.7 0.3 176.6
Czech Rep. 993,778 + 37.1 0.3 97.3
New Zealand 971,900 + 49.1 0.2 242.4
Hungary 894,800 + 46.2 0.2 88.4
Hong Kong 859,926 =   0.2 124.9
India 838,139 + 203.5 0.2 0.81
Singapore 804,262 + 31.7 0.2 230.7
Turkey 794,795 + 30.0 0.2 11.7
Thailand 787,342 + 53.1 0.2 12.2
Ireland * 550,000 n.a.   0.1 136.0
Greece 503,687 + 34.3 0.1 45.6
Total 394,991,609 + 24.3   27.3
Figures for the United States are “weighted” approximately to account for the fact
that some of the “apparently American” domains are in other countries.
Worldwide density is based on hostcount and population exluding the US.

* Figures for the UK, Canada, Spain, South Korea and Ireland
are “arbitrarily but not unreasonably” adjusted
to compensate for underestimated hostcount data in this period.

* The figure for Italy, that appears overestimated
in the hostcount survey in recent years, is reduced by 15 percent.


The percentage of US hoscount on the worldwide total has been gradually decreasing, but it is still dominant, as we see in this graph (countries with over three million internet hosts.)


Internet hosts in 13 countries
countries worldwide with over three million hosts
 

13 countries


If we exclude the United States, this is the picture for the other 25 countries with over a million internet hosts.


Internet hosts in 25 countries
countries worldwide with over a million hosts   (Unites States excluded)
 

25 countries


This is an update of the graph for density (hosts per 1000 inhabitants) in the 34 countries worldwide with over 500,000 internet hosts.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants in 34 countries
 
density


And here is a picture of internet density as a world map.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants
 
world map


More detailed analyses and comments, including a graph of hostcount in relation to income, are in the international data report.


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loghino.gif (1071 byte) 3. New European data


Total European houscount exceeded 30 million in 2003, 50 in 2004 and 70 nel 2005. At this time growth in Europe (+ 33 percent in a year) appears to be faster than the world average (+ 24 percent).

There are some further changes in the internet in Europe compared to a year ago (issue 74.)  As usual, a more detailed report is in European data.

This is an update of the situation in the 31 European countries with over 50,000 internet hosts.


  Number of hosts
December 2005
% of
Europe
Per 1000
inhab.
Germany 9,852,798 13.7 119.4
United Kingdom * 9,800,000 13.6 164.3
Italy * 9,600,000 13.4 164.2
Netherlands 7,258,159 10.1 446.4
France 6,863,156 9.5 113.8
Spain * 4,800,000 6.7 112.3
Poland 3,941,769 5.5 103.2
Sweden 3,100,000 4.3 344.8
Belgium 2,546,148 3.5 244.4
Finland 2,505,805 3.5 478.5
Denmark 2,316,370 3.2 429.2
Switzerland 2,125,269 3.0 297.3
Norway 2,109,283 2.9 457.9
Austria 1,957,154 2.7 241.5
Russia 1,656,352 2.3 11.4
Portugal 1,378,817 1,9 131.6
Czech Republic 993,778 1.4 97.3
Hungary 894,800 1.2 88.4
Ireland * 550,000 0.8 136.0
Greece 503,687 0.7 45.6
Romania 446,686 0.6 20.5
Estonia 355,085 0.5 262.8
Slovakia 322.753 0.4 60.0
Lithuania 206,581 0.3 60.3
Ukraine 192,476 0.3 4.0
Iceland 191,528 0.3 652.4
Bulgaria 161,405 0.2 20.7
Croatia 132,130 0.18 29.6
Latvia 90,536 0.13 39.2
Luxembourg 84,257 0.12 185.2
Slovenia 61,408 0.09 30.8
European Union 64,578,811 89.8 144.6
Europe 71.888.284   101,9

* Figures for the UK, Spain and Ireland are “arbitrarily but not unreasonably” adjusted
to compensate for underestimated hostcount data in this period.


* The figure for Italy, that appears overestimated
in the hostcount survey in recent years, here is reduced by 15 percent.


Growth in France and Portugal is faster than in past years. Strong development continues in Poland and in other eastern European countries.

This “pie” graph shows the situation, at the end of 2005, for the 18 European countries with over 500,000 internet hosts (that have 95 % of the total hostcount in Europe.)


Internet hosts in 18 Euroopean countries
countries with over 500,000 hosts
 

18 countries


This is an update of density (hosts per 1000 inhabitants) for the 31 European countries with over 50,000 internet hosts.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants
in 31 European countries

density


And this is the picture as a map.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants

Europe


The internet is growing almost everywhere in Europe, but the highest density remains in the Scandivavian area and in the Netherlands.


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loghino.gif (1071 byte) 4. Latin America, Asia and Africa


An analysis of large language communities in the data section includes information on the development of the internet in Latin America – that in 2005, for the first time, exceeded 10 million internet hosts.

In this chart we see the situation in the 16 countries with over 5,000 hosts (that have over 99 percent of the total hostcount in Latin America.)


  Number of hosts
December 2005
Per 1000
inhab.
Brazil 5,094,730 28.1
Mexico 2,555,047 24.5
Argentina 1,464,719 39.2
Chile 462,420 29.9
Colombia 440,585 9.7
Peru 263,786 9.6
Uruguay 125,775 38.8
Dominican Rep. 98,180 11.1
Venezuela 47,614 1.9
Guatemala 44,635 3.8
Nicaragua 18,638 3.4
Ecuador 17,701 1.4
Bolivia 16,274 1.9
Costa Rica 12,596 3.0
Paraguay 10,840 2.0
Panama 9,626 3.1
Latin America 10,695,000 20.1


This graph shows density (internet hosts per thousand inhabitants).


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants
in 16 Latin American countries


density


And this is the picture as a map.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants

map


The same five countries as in past years (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil and Mexico) remain ahead of general density in the area (the first four are above the world average). But also in other parts of Latin America there is relevant growth.




This is a summary of a document in the data section that covers the situation in Asia. The chart includes the 20 countries with over 10,000 internet hosts (that have 99 percent of the total hostcount in Asia.)


  Number of hosts
December 2005
% of
  Asia  
Per 1000
inhab.
Japan 24,903,759 70.3 195.4
Taiwan 3,943,555 11.1 173.8
South Korea 1,500,000 4.2 32.6
Israel 1,212,264 3.4 176.6
Hong Kong 859,926 2.4 124.9
India 838,139 2.4 0.81
Singapore 804,262 2.3 230.6
Turkey 794,795 2.2 11.7
Thailand 787,342 2.2 12.3
China 208,277 0.59 0.16
Malaysia 154,888 0.44 6.7
Indonesia 154,735 0.43 0.71
Arab Emirates 130,479 0.37 32.3
Philippines 107,336 0.30 1.40
Saudi Arabia 62,120 0.18 2.98
Pakistan 59,739 0.17 0.45
Cyprus 56,760 0.16 82.3
Kazakhstan 19,275 0.05 1.30
Lebanon 14,577 0.04 4.7
Kirghizhstan 13,973 0.04 2.7
Jordan 9,537 0.02 1.74
Nepal 8,853 0.02 0.38
Viet Nam 8,265 0.02 0.10
Uzbekhstan 7,923 0.02 0.30
Brunei 7,237 0.02 21.2
Sri Lanka 7,010 0.02 0.36
Bhutan 6,779 0.02 5.8
Asia 35,445,000   9.4


For the first time in 2004, with a fast increase of hosctcunt, India had overtaken China. The trend continued in 2005. India will probably exceed a million internet hosts in 2006 – still far below its potential, but a substantial increase compared to the past (see the analysis of large low-density countries.)

There are great differences in Asia, as shown by this graph (internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants) in the 20 countries with over 10,000 internet hosts.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants
in 20 countries in Asia


density


This is the picture as shown in a map of the central and southern part of the continent – from the Middle East to East Asia.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants

map


Some data on the Chinese area are included in the analysis of language communities.




Another document in the data section is an analysis of the internet in Africa. Here is a summary of the situation at year-end 2005. The table includes the 19 African countries with over a thusand internet hosts (that have 99 percent of the total in the continent.)


  Number of hosts
December 2005
% of
Africa
Per 1000
inhab-
South Africa 468,888 55.8 10.6
Morocco 250,174 27.8 8.5
Egypt 86,548 9.6 1.26
Kenya 11,695 1.3 0.41
Tanzania 9,444 1.05 0.27
Zimbabwe 8,055 0.95 0.69
Mozambique 7,676 0.85 0.40
Mauritius 4,958 0.55 4.1
Namibia 4,632 0.51 2.5
Zambia 2,789 0.31 0.27
Swaziland 2,642 0.29 2.7
Angola 2,516 0.28 0.21
Nigeria 2,498 0.27 0.03
Ivory Coast 2,224 0.25 0.14
Botswana 2,097 0.23 1.25
Ghana 1,783 0.20 0.09
Rwanda 1,744 0.19 0.21
Congo 1,516 0.17 0.04
Uganda 1,362 0.15 0.06
Africa 900,000   1.06


This is density as a graph.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants
in 19 African countries


density

Two other small insular countries,
the Seychelles e São Tomé & Principe,
have higher density than Mauritius.


Density in most of Africa is comparable to, or below, the level of Nigeria. In a general picture of very weak internet activity, there are large differences also in Africa. Recent changes include the growth of Morocco. Egypt, that appeared slower in recent years, now seems to be growing again – but still remains far behind “European” levels.

This is the density picture as a map.


Internet hosts per 1000 inhabitants

map


In 2005 Africa had faster growth (+ 35 percent) than the world average (+ 24 percent). And in some African countries the speed was considerably higher. But the fact remains that the whole continent, with 14 percent of the world’s population, has 0.3 percent of global activity in the internet.




The picture is evolving everywhere. There are different speeds of growth, and different levels of density, inside all of the areas, from those with the highest concentration, such as North America and Europe, to the weakest environments, such as Africa and most of Asia. There is still large room for development in all parts of the world.


 

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