Of China's 87 million Internet users, 60.1 percent are single, says a survey on the development of the Internet in China published in Beijing Tuesday.

The survey, the 14th of its kind conducted by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), also shows 59.3 percent of China's web surfers are male and 54.1 percent are underage 24.

It shows 21.9 percent of the netizens earn more than 2,000 yuan (US$240) per month; students account for the biggest percentage, 31.9 percent.

According to the survey, China had 87 million Internet users at the end of June, an increase of 9.4 percent over the end of last year and an increase of 24.9 over a year earlier.

CNNIC has conducted such survey since 1997. According to the first survey, China had 620,000 Internet users by October 1997.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2004)