China’s Internet population surged last year thanks to mobile devices, reaching a total 564 million users.

The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) this week reported that by the end of December, about 51 million new Chinese users accessed the Web, driving the country’s Internet usage up by 10 percent and boosting the percentage of Chinese Web users to 42.1 percent.

Mobile devices are behind the upswing. Smartphones, tablets, and wireless networks drew more users last year than Internet cafes and school rooms, according to a translated Techweb report(Opens in a new window), which tipped a mobile technology rise from 69.3 to 74.5 percent.

Mobile use may grow even more if reports that the iPhone is coming to China Mobile are true. According to a China Mobile spokesman, Apple CEO Tim Cook and China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua met to discuss “matters of cooperation” recently, but no further details were revealed.

The number of Chinese mobile phone users grew by more than 18 percent in 2012, the site said, topping 420 million people. Techweb reported, however, that 91.7 percent of people use the Internet at home, an improvement of 3.4 percent since 2011.

Additionally, micro-blogging increased by 6 percent last year, reaching 309 million Chinese Internet users, though Techweb did not expand on which services are in use. Online shopping rates are also on the rise, growing to 242 million people in 2012 – a growth rate of 24.8 percent.

Internet access hasn’t always been so easy in the country, though. In late December, China put a stop to anonymous Web activity in an effort – officials said – to combat spam and protect individuals’ personal information. The new restrictions required users to provide their full, real name, and called for ISPs to delete “forbidden postings and report them to the government.”

The changes came not long after China blocked access to Google-run sites and services in November.

For more from Stephanie, follow her on Twitter @smlotPCMag(Opens in a new window).