According to the 2013 China New Media Development Report released [1] by China's News and Communications Research Center under China’s Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the majority of Weibo users are a group of “low age, low education level and low income” urban dwellers. According to the translation from Offbeat China [2], the report concluded that:
- 74.88% of China’s Weibo users have an education level of high school or below.
- Students account for the largest segment on weibos.
- 92.2% have a monthly income of RMB 5000 yuan or less, among which the majority has no income at all.
While acknowledging Weibo’s contribution to anti-corruption efforts, the report also claimed that among the 100 hottest topics on Weibos from January 2012 to January 2013, rumors were observed in 1/3 of them.
However, many netizens doubted about the research results. Read more from Offbeat China [2].