JupiterResearch has found that the number of worldwide online users will increase 44 percent between 2007 and 2012, reaching 1.8 billion users. By 2012, one quarter of the worldwide population will access the Internet on a regular basis, as indicated in a new report Worldwide Online Population Forecast, 2007 to 2012, published by JupiterResearch.

According to the report, the growth in online populations of emerging economies will continue to increase at double-digit rates during the next five years, driving the expansion of the worldwide online population. However, in 2012 their online penetration levels will only reach levels the U.S. experienced in 2000 and at a minimum will trail those of developed nations by five years' time.

"Even though the emerging economies will have lower online penetration rates compared to the developed countries, JupiterResearch believes that they will ramp up the learning curve in adopting sophisticated online activities compared to the developing countries," explained Vikram Sehgal, Research Director and lead author of the report for JupiterResearch.

Brazil, Russia, India, and China will experience some of the highest growth rates. By 2011, China will overtake the U.S. in number of regular online users to become the leading online population, with India following in a distant third place.

According to David Schatsky, President of JupiterResearch, "Asia will not only have the highest online growth rate compared to other regions in the world, but will also present a substantially large pool of sophisticated online users as a market to tap into."