According to a report by DCCI, Data Center of China Internet, internet-related spending in Mainland China rose by 50% in the first half of 2008. This figure includes spending on online shopping, connection charges, internet games and online community services, including social networking sites, blogging sites, chat rooms and bulletin board sites. Online shopping made up the greatest proportion of the growth, 47.3%.

The DCCI report states that internet-users in China spent $37 billion on online shopping in the first half of 2008. The growth in expenditure is attributed mainly to the rise in the number of Chinese with access to the internet, which is thought to be due to lower connection charges. The internet population in China has risen rapidly, currently standing at 221 million, surpassing the US; it is expected to reach 263 million by the end of the year, representing a 25% rise.

DCCI, which monitors internet business independently, also said that individual user spending on internet-related services was up by approximately 14%, yet per capita monthly income had risen by only 11.4% over the same period. These figures appear to indicate that the growth in Mainland Chinese internet-related spending is rising faster than the average monthly rise in the consumer price index, which measures the rate of inflation.