- China has roughly 1.3 billion internet users (1,300,000,000 people) — about 91.7% of the population and rank #1 globally.
- The apps people open most: WeChat, QQ, WeCom, Weibo. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Mobility, Food, Music, Travel, Tools, News, Classifieds, Banking, Cloud storage, AI assistants, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading and more.
- The one to know first: WeChat — A super app for chat, payments and mini programs.
China in numbers
2025–2026- Internet users
- 1.3 billion1,300,000,000 · #1
- Penetration
- 91.7%#51
- Population
- 1.4 billion1,417,000,000 · #2
- GDP
- $18.73T#2
- GDP growth
- +5.0%#42
- GDP per person
- $13,218#97
- Land area
- 9.71M km²#3
- Capital
- Beijing
- Region
- Asia
- Official languages
- Standard Chinese (Mandarin)
How China goes online
China is the world’s largest online market: about 1.3 billion people, more than 90% penetration, and an ecosystem that barely overlaps with the rest of the internet. WeChat is the front door to messaging, payments and mini programs; Taobao, Douyin, Alipay and Meituan cover the rest of daily life.
Around 91.7%. With a population of about 1.4 billion and 1.3 billion online, roughly 117 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.
All 91 apps below are grouped by category.
What people actually use
91 Most-used appsWebsites people in China actually use
33The 33 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.
Nearby and similar markets
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Frequently asked questions
6 Q&AHow many people in China are online?
About 1.3 billion (1,300,000,000 people). That works out to roughly 91.7% of the population, which puts China at #1 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.
Which apps do people in China use most?
Mostly WeChat, QQ, WeCom, Weibo — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Mobility, Food, Music, Travel, Tools, News, Classifieds, Banking, Cloud storage, AI assistants, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.
What is the leading Messaging app in China?
WeChat, QQ, WeCom dominate this space. The best-known is WeChat — A super app for chat, payments and mini programs.
How high is internet penetration in China?
Around 91.7%. With a population of about 1.4 billion and 1.3 billion online, roughly 117 million people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.
Where do these app facts come from?
Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.
Which websites are most popular in China?
The everyday ones are Baidu, Taobao, JD.com, plus the other 33 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.
Sources
Updated 2026-11-12- DataReportal — Digital 2026
- ITU — Statistics
- Official product sites
World Sites & Apps. “China: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/cn-en.html