Chinese surfing the web at an internet cafe in Chengdu city. A survey by the US market research firm comScore Networks found that the number of Internet users worldwide increased 10 percent over the past year amid a surge in India, China and Russia.[AFP/file]

WASHINGTON - The number of Internet users worldwide increased 10 percent over the past year amid a surge in India, China and Russia, a survey showed Tuesday.

The report by US market research firm comScore Networks found that 747 million people aged 15 and up used the Internet worldwide in January 2007, a 10 percent increase from January 2006.

The United States still held the largest number of users with 153 million, but growth was just two percent, comScore found.

China was second overall with 86.7 million, according to comScore, but growth was 20 percent. The figure differs from the official Chinese estimate of 137 million, which includes users in cybercafes and other public locations.

The strongest growth was seen in India, where the number of users increased 33 percent to 21.1 million. That placed India with the eighth largest Internet population, just behind France.

Russia saw its number of users up 21 percent to 12.7 million.

In terms of overall Internet users, the highest numbers after the United States and China were, in order, Japan, Germany, Britain, South Korea, France, India, Canada and Italy.

"The importance of the worldwide Internet population continues to grow," said Bob Ivins, managing director of comScore Europe.

"Internet users outside the US now account for 80 percent of the world's online population, with rapidly developing countries experiencing double-digit growth rates year-over-year."

Canadians spent the most time online, with the average user on the Web for 39.6 hours each month. That was followed by Israel, South Korea, the United States and Britain, which all have high broadband penetration.