WASHINGTON: The number of Internet users worldwide increased 10 per cent over the past year amid a surge in India, China and Russia, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The report by US market research firm comScore Networks found that 747 million people aged 15 and up used the Internet worldwide in January 2007, a 10 per cent increase from January 2006.

The United States still held the largest number of users with 153 million, but growth was just two per cent, comScore found.

China was second overall with 86.7 million, according to comScore, but growth was 20 per cent. The figure differs from the official Chinese estimate of 137 million, which includes users in cybercafes and other public locations.—AFP