[Photo/IC]

China's online population crosses billion as of June, up 21.75 million compared with that in December, a report from the China Internet Network Information Center said on Friday.

Of the total, 469 million netizens use the internet to order food, a significant increase, according to the report.

It said the instant delivery business, especially those in fresh food and medicine, has developed rapidly since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding this fast growth has benefited people and stabilized the economy together with common food and beverage takeout.

In the report, the proportion of internet users aged 50 and above accounted for 28 percent as of June, up 5.2 percentage points from June 2020.

Considering the number of elderly netizens is rising, the State Council, China's Cabinet, and relevant government departments, released guidelines to provide them easier access to internet, it said.

For example, in a guideline issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last year, 115 websites and 43 smartphone applications were required to be optimized to solve difficulties of the elderly and the disabled in the face of smart technologies, it said.

Internet enterprises were also asked to provide easier online services of the pandemic control for elderly people, and increase barrier-free functions for the disabled in maps, news and other apps, it said, adding the aim was to ensure the scientific and technological innovation could be shared by all.