The leader in measuring the digital world - comScore, Inc. on Monday (April 27, 2009) released the findings of a study of Internet usage in Mexico, based on data from the comScore World Metrix audience measurement service. The comScore study says that in March, nearly 13 million people age 15 and older in Mexico accessed the Internet from a home or work computer, making an average 41.4 online visits per visitor and viewing an average of 1,612 pages of content during the month.

According to comScore study, Internet users in Mexico spent a combined 338 million hours online in March, averaging more than 26 hours per person. Instant messaging claimed the highest share of total Internet usage time at 32.4 percent, followed by social networking at 10.5 percent, and e-mail at 9.9 percent. Online media also proved popular, with the multimedia site category accounting for 7.8 percent and online gaming 1.8 percent of total time spent online in March.

Alex Banks, managing director of Latin America for comScore, said, "Internet usage in Mexico has grown rapidly during the past year, with online media, communication and social networking particularly important drivers of this growth. As the Internet medium continues to evolve, it is vital for advertisers and publishers to understand how online behavior is changing over time and to develop their digital strategies accordingly."

The comScore study found that Microsoft site was the most popular property in Mexico in March with 11.1 million visitors, followed by Google Sites (10.7 million visitors), and Yahoo Sites! (7.3 million visitors). Facebook. com grew 220 percent versus year ago to 2.7 million visitors, catapulting the world's largest social networking site into the top 15 property rankings in Mexico. Several Latin American brands also featured prominently in the ranking, including MercadoLibre with 6.2 million visitors (up 12 percent vs. year ago), Batanga with 4.5 million visitors (up 60 percent), Terra - Telefonica with 2.7 million visitors (up 15 percent), and Televisa Digital Sites with 2.7 million visitors
(up 45 percent).

Meanwhile, Alex Banks, comScore's managing director for Latin America, will present a strategic overview of global Internet trends as well as specific insights into Internet usage in Mexico in an upcoming Spanish-language webinar. The webinar will include an analysis of the differences in Internet usage patterns across worldwide regions, insights into audience growth and changes in consumer demographics, with a particular emphasis on online behavior in Mexico.