Publication date: 18 Mar 2019

In 2018, China’s online advertising revenue expanded by 25.7% year on year to the size of 371.7 billion yuan (about 55.5 billion US dollars).

According to China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), internet advertising via mobile devices accounted for 70% of the revenue. There was a significant increase in revenues of advertising on short-form video platforms and social networks. In-feed ads, which are shown naturally when a user scrolls through the feed, has become a new area for the advertising industry.

As online advertising was growing more popular, the cost of advertising got lower in 2018. Online advertising revenue will, nevertheless, continue growing in the future.

The total number of Chinese internet users reached 829 million last year that is 7.3% up from the previous year.

Recall that popular Western websites, including Facebook and Twitter, and various references to political opposition are blocked under Chinese laws. The Golden Shield Project, also known as the Great Firewall of China, began operations in 2003. The system registers real names of all internet users and tracks their activity.