Online studies in China booming

China's online education market is forecast to reach 194 billion yuan ($29 billion) this year, with the number of active users set to surpass 110 million, according to a report released on Sunday.

More than 90 million people accessed online courses via Chinese platforms last year, and the scale is expected to rise at an annual rate of at least 20 percent, the report suggests.

The survey was conducted by Xuetangx - a website run by Tsinghua University that provides online courses (mostly free) - and iResearch, a consulting firm focusing on internet data. Participants were aged 18 to 30, with 58 percent male and more than 70 percent undergraduates.