U.S. Hispanic Internet users will reach 21 million by 2010, eMarketer says

The number of U.S. Hispanic Internet users is expected to hit 20.9 million by 2010, with growth driven primarily by Hispanic youth, according to a new report from eMarketer. That’s a 33% increase from 15.7 million users at year-end 2005.

“By 2010 the number of Hispanic Internet users will approach the number of African-American users,” said Debra Aho Willamson, eMarketer senior analyst.

By 2010, there will be 3.3 million U.S. Hispanic Internet users between 3 and 17, 4 million between 18 and 24, and 4.8 million 25 to 34, eMarketer estimated. That compares with 2.5 million, 3 million and 3.6 million, respectively, in 2005.

“The Hispanic youth explosion doesn’t show signs of slowing, at least in the near term,” Williamson said. “By 2010, when the median age of the U.S. population is expected to be 36, the Hispanic median age will be just over 27, and in 2010, one-third of all Hispanic people in the U.S. will be under 18.”

But marketing to Hispanic youth will be more difficult than to other demographic groups, Williamson says. “Some speak only Spanish, others barely know the language,” she says. “Still others use Spanish in some environments, English in others, or a mix of the two called Spanglish.”

In addition, many Hispanic youth “live in two worlds: one dominated by the culture and traditions of their family history, and the other awash in the iPods, MySpaces, mobile phones and hip-hop music of the general youth culture,” Williamson says.