30 Huge numbers of people generate their own content. Depending on the geography, individual content creators represent anywhere from 30 to 60 percent of all Internet users, with the percentage higher in developing economies. Between 40 and 60 percent of Internet users regularly browse user-generated content83 (Exhibit 18).
Exhibit 17
Impact of search on consumer surplus, 2009 USD billions United States
Germany
France
Brazil
India
Consumer surplus
21.2
3.2
2.5
0.7
0.4
▪ Better prices
3.1
0.5
0.3
0.1
0.0
▪ Long-tail access
13.0
1.9
1.5
0.5
0.2
▪ Other
5.1
0.8
0.7
0.2
0.2
Time saved
20.7
4.8
4.1
0.4
0.1
Total
41.9
8.0
6.6
1.1
0.5
USD per Internet user
15
13
16
2
0
USD per e-consumer
25
20
22
5
2
NOTE: Numbers may not sum due to rounding. SOURCE: McKinsey analysis
Exhibit 18
Summary of individual content creators across countries, 2009 United States
Internet users Million
% of population People generating online content Million % of Internet users People using usergenerated content Million % of Internet users SOURCE: McKinsey analysis
83 eMarketer.
Germany
France
Brazil
India
51
35
50
81
61
56
26
7
16
10
32
29
51
25
14
26
47
40
51
232
76
100
43
26
52
64
140
60
52 64