How many people (consumers, not business) will be online in the future
in the US and in Western Europe (separate figures)?
I am looking for trends/forecasts. Trends can go back in time to 2001
or 2002 and project into the future as far as credible - minimum 2
years future projection - 3-5 years are better.

<Number of online consumers.

U.S.
2000 ? 46.3 million
2001 ? 49.5 million
2003 ? 58 million.
2005 ? 82.1 million (emarketer).
2008 ? 63 million (Forrester Research Inc.)

Western Europe
2000 ? 20 million 
2001 ? 116 million
2002 ? 142 million 
2006 ? 200 million
2008 ? 212 million.

References:

According to Forrester Research Inc, there will be 63 million online
consumers by 2008, an increase of 5 million over current levels.

http://ecommerce.internet.com/research/stats/article/0,3371,10371_2245631,00.html

According to a report by Jupiter Media Corporation, there will 212
million internet users in Western Europe by 2008, up from 142 million
in 2002.
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?report_id=39386

According to Jupiter Communications in 2000, there were 20 million
online buyers. They predicted that there would be 85 million by 2005,
but 2002 figures were greater.
http://www.iht.com/IHT/SUP/090700/sp-emedia-08.html

According to Forrester Research, in 2001 there were 116 million
European online users. By the end of 2006 there will be 200 million.
http://www.bizreport.com/article.php?art_id=3296

U.S. households online.
According to eMarketer the number online in 2000, were 43.6 million
and in 2001, 49 million. Predictions for 2005 are 82.1 million.
http://www.info-edge.com/samples/EM-2059sam.pdf>



<Search strategy:>

<consumers online million 2008>
<://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=consumers+online+million+2008>

<consumers online million 2008 "western europe" >
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=consumers+online+million+2008+%22western+europe%22>

<Hope this helps.>

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Request for Answer Clarification by joliette-ga on 22 Dec 2003 07:10 PST

Hello belindalevez,

thank you for your quick answer. 
There seems to be one problem with it, though:

In 2000, there are double as much consumers online in the US than in
Europe. In 2001 and in the following years, there are far more
consumers online in Western Europe than in the US. This doesn't seem
logic to me and I think I know where the problem comes from:

"Consumers online" is not the same thing as "online consumers". 
A consumer online is a private person using the internet (and not for
business purpose).
An online consumer is someone who is BUYING/CONSUMING online. 

I was looking for the first one. So the figures for Europe seem to be
perfect, but for the US I assume they are wrong. Also "households"
online is not the same as "consumers" online, as consumers can access
the Internet elsewhere than at home and there may be serveral
consumers per household.

Thank you for checking again your answer,
Joliette

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Clarification of Answer by belindalevez-ga on 22 Dec 2003 12:05 PST

<IDC found that 62 percent of U.S. adults will have internet access by
2003. This site also has CIA figures. They count the number of users
as adults with weekly use in business and home. If casual users are
added in the figures are 15 to 30 percent higher. The CIA says that
North America will have 230 million internet users by the end of 2005.
2000 figures for North America are 229,780.
http://cyberatlas.internet.com/big_picture/geographics/article/0,1323,5911_200001,00.html

The Computer Industry Alamanac found that there will be 230 million
internet users by 2005. This figure corresponds to the CIA numbers.
http://www.onlinepublishingnews.com/htm/n99927oln8.htm

According to the Computer Industry Almanac, 135 million Americans went
online in 2000.
http://www.shop.org/learn/stats_intnet_asia.html

According to the CIA there were 165.75 million internet users in the USA in 2002.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html>

Thank you.