The latest data on browser market share indicates that Mozilla has broken the 20 per cent barrier in worldwide adoption.

Data collected by Net Applications showed Firefox’s November market share was 20.78 per cent, with Microsoft’s Internet explorer falling below 70 per cent fore the first time. Google’s Chrome browser was used by less than one per cent of the internet population.

Mozilla's chief executive John Lilly said: “Reaching 20 percent worldwide market share is a significant milestone for Firefox and Mozilla.”

“It's a huge achievement by the global Mozilla community, one that just a few years ago most would have considered impossible. The open web is more vibrant than ever, and the thousands of Mozilla contributors around the world have played a major role in making it that way.”

Apple’s Safari browser was used by over seven per cent of internet sessions.

The company suggests that Firefox gained market share due to a variety of factors. Since it is used primarily in the home rather than in corporate environments the Thanksgiving holiday season will have helped Mozilla’s use.

However, Net Applications also suggests that higher unemployment may also be helping Firefox, since more people are browsing from home rather than from the office.

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