comScore: Hispanics Online In US Exceed Total Online Pop In Major Spanish Speaking Nations.

comScore Networks released the first detailed analysis of the online U.S. Hispanic population based on the comScore Media Metrix panel of more than 50,000 U.S. Hispanic Internet users.

In January 2003, there were 12.4 million Hispanic users age 2 and older resident in the U.S. that accessed the Internet from either home, work or at a university, Based on these data, the U.S. Hispanic online population, which comprises approximately one third of the total U.S. Hispanic population, is 11 percent larger than the total online population of Spain, and 4 percent larger than the total online population of Mexico, Argentina and Columbia combined.

The comScore estimates are based on a scientifically selected and representative sample of 50,000 self-reported U.S. online Hispanics* who were recruited in both Spanish and English to be members of the comScore panel. These individuals have given comScore explicit permission to continuously monitor their Internet behavior using comScore’s patent-pending technology. The comScore data are statistically projected to represent the U.S. Hispanic online population.

The comScore data reveal that approximately 51 percent of U.S. online Hispanics prefer to use English as their language of choice at home, with 21 percent preferring to use Spanish and 27% stating an equal use of English or Spanish:

Sharp Demographic Contrasts Revealed in Hispanic Online Population

comScore also highlighted a number of striking differences among Hispanic Web users in comparison to the general Internet population. For example, compared to the total Internet population, U.S. Hispanics are a much younger group: 60 percent of the Hispanic online population is 34 years of age or younger, versus only 50 percent for the total online population. It follows that older users of age 55+ that those over age 55 are particularly underrepresented in the Hispanic Internet population compared to the total U.S. Internet population.

U.S. Hispanic Web users are also much more likely to live in larger households. For example, 39 percent of U.S. Hispanic online households contain five or more persons compared to only 18 percent for all online households. And in sharp contrast, only 2 percent of U.S. Hispanic surfers were in single-member households, versus 10 percent for the total online population.

comScore analysts further discovered significant differences in the household income of Hispanic Internet users. Compared to the total U.S. Hispanic population, Hispanic Internet users tend to live in higher income households.

Extraordinary Reach Among Top Spanish-Language Sites
Although the fast-growing Hispanic market has clearly attracted the attention of leading marketers, previously there has been no accurate view of how broadly those marketers would need to stretch online resources to reach a critical mass of these consumers. In an analysis of the unduplicated reach of top Web sites within the Spanish-preferred online population, comScore data revealed that the top ten Spanish language properties, in total, reach more than 91 percent of Spanish-preferred users in one month.

“This new knowledge of the online Hispanic consumer provides compelling evidence of the opportunity inherent in reaching this prized group,” noted Richard L. Israel, comScore Networks vice president of Hispanic Marketing Solutions. “Since Hispanic Web users tend to be younger and live in larger households, they are likely to be more comfortable with technology and exercise influence over other family members for purchases and other key decisions. And importantly, they can be efficiently reached through leading Web sites.”

Hispanic Consumer Research Supported By Industry Leaders
comScore Media Metrix Hispanic Services are trusted by industry leaders such as Terra Networks, Yahoo! en Español, AOL, The Bravo Group, Bromley/Tapestry (SMG), La Opinión, Media 8 Digital Marketing, Communitá, Inc., Kraft, and the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA).

* U.S. resident Hispanics are based on an individual’s self-reported definition, adhering to procedures established by the U.S. Department of Census.

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For more information at http://www.comscore.com