Chrome reaches 10 percent market share

One out of every 10 people surfing the web in December 2010 used Google's Chrome browser, according to the latest statistics.

Chrome's gains have come largely at the expense of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), which has seen its usage share dropping for years. However, IE9, which embodies Microsoft's ambition to build a cutting-edge browser once again, saw its share of the market grow from 0.4 percent in November to 0.5 percent in December, according to new statistics from Net Applications.

Google's Chrome browser saw its share rise to 10 percent in December 2010, while Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 rose to 0.5 percent. Credit: Net Applications/Stephen Shankland/CNET News

Mozilla's Firefox, the second-place browser, stayed flat at about 22.8 percent, Apple's Safari rose from 5.6 percent to 5.9 percent, and Opera was flat at about 2.2 percent. Chrome and Safari grew at the expense of IE, which dropped from 58.4 percent to 57.1 percent. Note that because browser usage overall is increasing, even percentages that remain flat from month to month still mean a growing user base.

For more on this ZDNet UK-selected story, see Chrome finishes 2010 with 10 percent share on CNET News.