China’s embrace of mobile commerce, where online retail accounts for a huge chunk of consumer spending, could help other markets in providing engaging online shopping experiences, according to a new report released by PayPal.

Around 96 per cent of users in China shop online using their smartphone, outpacing other major markets by as much as 30 per cent, according to the report. The findings were part of a larger survey commissioned by PayPal looking at trends in e-commerce and cross-border shopping.

Conducted by Ipsos, the survey collected 14,000 responses from 14 major markets across the globe. Mexico had the second-highest mobile usage at 90 per cent, while Canada was the lowest with 66 per cent.

“China is leading the way in mobile commerce, and it could take the rest of the world months or even years to catch up,” the report said. “If you want to know what’s coming next, pay attention to Chinese trends.”