New Delhi, Jun 22 (IANS): One in four mobile phones sold was purchased online as online sales accounted for about 26 per cent share of the global mobile phone market in 2020 which was driven by India, a new report showed on Tuesday.

Global online handset sales increased by almost 6 per cent points in 2020 compared to the previous year.

India showed the highest online share at 45 per cent, followed by the UK at 39 per cent and China at 34 per cent, according to Counterpoint Research.

"After the rapid growth in 2020, we expect 2021 to see some easing after the COVID-19 vaccination. However, it is expected to grow slightly every year from 2022 onwards, supported by growth in emerging markets and the middle-aged population becoming more accustomed to IT devices and internet use," said Senior Analyst Sujeong Lim.

In terms of market size, the online handset sales increased by more than 10 per cent.

This trend was strong not only in advanced markets such as the US and Europe but also in emerging markets such as India and Latin America.

"In the case of India, which currently has the highest online proportion, it may decrease to a certain level after 2022 due to the development of offline infrastructure such as multi-brand stores and large-scale retail stores," Lim cautioned.