Latin America experiences explosive Growth in Internet Usage.

comScore, Inc. released a study on the state of the Internet in Latin America. The report found that Internet usage across the region has witnessed significant growth in the past year, with visitation increasing 23 percent to now represent 8 percent of the world’s total Internet audience.

“The online landscape in Latin America is growing and shifting at an unprecedented rate,” said Alejandro Fosk, senior vice president of comScore Latin America. “With broadband accessibility increasing and costs declining, we expect Internet usage to continue to climb across the region, creating opportunities for local and global brands to reach and engage audiences in these dynamic markets.”

Additional findings from the report include:

— The average Latin American user performed 136 searches in February, the highest rate globally. Google Sites dominated the search landscape capturing 88 percent of the market.

— 82 percent of regional users accessed a social networking site during February, ranking as one of the most socially connected regions in the world. Facebook reigned as the most popular social network in Latin America reaching nearly 50 million users; with Chile and Colombia displaying the strongest penetration of usage in the region. Orkut remained the top social network in Brazil, reaching 72 percent of the online audience.

— Twitter usage exploded in the region growing to more than 10 million users in February from a nearly non-existent audience just last year.

— Four out of five Internet users in Latin America visited an Entertainment site in February. YouTube led as the most-visited Entertainment destination, while local players such as Rede Globo experienced significant growth in delivering content.

— Instant Messenger and Email Sites continued to be a popular way for Latin Americans to stay connected online. 71 percent of users accessed Instant Messenger sites, while nearly 80 percent visited email destinations, both representing some of the highest penetration rates in the world.

— Though e-commerce is still in its infancy in this region, visitation to Retail destinations is continuing to grow with 60 percent of the region’s online population now frequenting these sites. Brazil currently represents the strongest opportunity for e-commerce in the region, making up 61 percent of regional e-commerce spending in 2009.

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