The total number of global Internet users crossed one billion mark in the month of December, says a report on global internet traffic released by online researcher ComScore on Friday.

ComScore's study only counted the Internet users, aging over 15 years of age, who accessed internet from their homes or workplaces in the month of December. It did not include the growing population of those using the Web via mobile phones.

The study reveals that the majority of internet users were from the Asia-Pacific region. According to the study, 41.3 percent (about 416 million) of the total number of global Internet users came from the Asia-Pacific region; while 28 percent (283 million) came from Europe;
18.4 percent (185 million) came from North America; 7 percent (75 million) from Latin America; and 5 percent (49 million) from the combined Middle East and Africa region.

Country wise, the study articulates, China ranks at no. 1 position with 17.8 present (180 million users), while United States ranks at no. 2 with 16.2 percent (163 million users) and Japan is at no. 3 with 6 percent (63 million) of total internet users.

Magid Abraham, comScore's CEO, said, "Surpassing one billion global users is a significant landmark in the history of the Internet. The second billion will be online before we know it, and the third billion will arrive even faster than that."