Virtual residents sit for a board game

American-born Second Life boasts surprising overseas figures, with over 61 percent of active residents hailing from Europe, according to a March comScore study (via Reuters).

209,000 residents, or 16 percent of Second Life's total population, are German. The US has a mere 207,000 residents. France yielded 104,000 residents; the UK comprised a lackluster 72,000.

Linden Lab stats report the U.S. accounts for 26.8 percent of active residents.
Though accounts have skyrocketed - 6 million created in 2007 alone, up from 1 million at the end of 2006 - participation is typically much lower. Linden Labs has said the retention rate hovers at 10 to 12 percent.

comScore reports the virtual world housed 1.3 million active residents in March, up 46 percent from January. 60 percent of the users are male.

(More data available at MarketingCharts.)