The number of netizens in China has reached 1.1 billion by the end of last year, 16.08 million more than in 2023, according to a report released by the China Internet Network Information Center on Friday.

The proportion of internet users aged 50 and above has increased from 32.5 percent in December 2023 to 34.1 percent, meaning that the internet has been further penetrating into the middle-aged and elderly population, the Statistical Report on China's Internet Development showed.

As of December last year, the average weekly internet usage per netizen in China rose to 28.7 hours, 2.6 hours more than in December 2023, it noted, adding that the apps frequently used among the netizens were those related to instant messaging, food order, shopping, payment and video.

Additionally, the generative artificial intelligence-related industries have seen a rapid growth last year, with a total of 302 generative AI services registered at the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's top internet regulator, it said.

By the end of December, 249 million netizens have accessed generative AI products, mainly using the technological tools to answer questions and as their work assistants, the report added.

While attracting more users, the generative AI technology has also been widely applied in fields of literary creation, online marketing, software engineering, legal consulting and intelligent healthcare, as well as helping improve the work efficiency in traditional manufacturing industries, according to the report.