Quarter of world population 'online by 2012'

A quarter of the entire world's population will be online by the year 2012, a new report predicts.

Analysis firm JupiterResearch forecasts the number of people online within the next four years will reach 1.8 billion.

It suggests this increase will be the result of more consumers within emerging economies accessing the web.

Brazil, Russia, China and India are anticipated to see the highest levels of growth, JupiterResearch continues.

Vikram Sehgal, research director and lead author of the report, says such emerging economies are likely to have lower web penetration levels in comparison to the developed world.

However, he adds: "JupiterResearch believes that they will ramp up the learning curve in adopting sophisticated online activities compared to the developing countries."

Earlier this month, the Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe reported that the amount spent on internet advertising within the continent "surged" 40 per cent to 11 billion euros (£8.7 billion) last year.

Alain Heureux, president of the body, attributed some of the rise in spending to growth within smaller European markets.