# /research/projects/archive/wcp/stats/size.htm

originally: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/archive/wcp/stats/size.htm

# Size and growth statistics

## Number of Web sites

A Web site is defined as a distinct location on the Internet, identified by an IP address, that returns a response code of 200 and a Web page in response to an HTTP request for the root page. The Web site consists of all interlinked Web pages residing at the IP address.

> 1998: 2,851,000
> 1999: 4,882,000
> 2000: 7,399,000
> 2001: 8,745,000
> 2002: 9,040,000

## Number of unique Web sites

The number of Web sites, adjusted to account for sites duplicated at multiple IP addresses.

> 1998: 2,636,000
> 1999: 4,662,000
> 2000: 7,128,000
> 2001: 8,443,000
> 2002: 8,712,000

## Web site types

Unique Web sites are assigned to one of three categories:

- Public: site provides free, unrestricted access to all or at least a significant portion of its content
- Private: site's content is intended for a restricted audience; restriction can be explicit (e.g., fee payment or authorization) or implicit (obvious from nature of content)
- Provisional: site is in transitory or unfinished state (e.g., "under construction"), and/or offers content that is, from a general perspective, meaningless or trivial

| 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | %
Public | 1,457,000 | 55% | 2,229,000 | 48% | 2,942,000 | 41% | 3,119,000 | 37% | 3,080,000 | 35%
Private | 315,000 | 12% | 790,000 | 17% | 1,494,000 | 21% | 2,078,000 | 25% | 2,489,000 | 29%
Provisional | 864,000 | 33% | 1,643,000 | 35% | 2,692,000 | 38% | 3,246,000 | 38% | 3,143,000 | 36%

## Growth

| 1998 - 1999 | 1999 - 2000 | 2000 - 2001 | 2001 - 2002 | 1998 - 2002
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sites | 71% | 52% | 18% | 3% | 217%
Unique sites | 77% | 53% | 18% | 3% | 231%
Public sites | 53% | 32% | 6% | -1% | 111%