Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Revenues
From unrelated parties	$ 34,300,000	$ 31,522,000
From related parties	450,000	743,000
Total revenues	34,750,000	32,265,000
Cost of revenues	26,999,000	24,655,000
Gross profit	7,751,000	7,610,000
Operating expenses
Sales and marketing expenses	4,074,000	4,586,000
General and administrative expenses	7,670,000	7,498,000
Research and development expenses	1,996,000	2,164,000
Gain on disposal of a VIE included in total operating expenses		(20,000)
Impairment on long-term investments included in total operating expenses	159,000	874,000
Goodwill impairment and impairment on fixed assets and intangible assets included in total operating expenses		1,824,000
Total operating expenses	13,899,000	16,926,000
Loss from operations	(6,148,000)	(9,316,000)
Other income/(expenses)
Interest income	90,000	117,000
Interest expense	(13,000)	(47,000)
Other (expenses)/income	(112,000)	34,000
Total other (expense)/income	(35,000)	104,000
Loss before income tax benefit, equity method investments, noncontrolling interests and discontinued operation	(6,183,000)	(9,212,000)
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(102,000)	1,496,000
Loss before equity method investments, noncontrolling interests and discontinued operation	(6,285,000)	(7,716,000)
Share of losses in equity investment affiliates		2,000
Loss from continuing operation	(6,285,000)	(7,718,000)
Loss from and on disposal of discontinued operation, net of income tax	(59,000)	(1,465,000)
Net loss	(6,344,000)	(9,183,000)
Net (income)/loss attributable to noncontrolling interests from continuing operations	(148,000)	91,000
Net loss attributable to ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc.	(6,492,000)	(9,092,000)
Net loss	(6,344,000)	(9,183,000)
Foreign currency translation loss	(1,377,000)	(1,594,000)
Comprehensive Loss	(7,721,000)	(10,777,000)
Comprehensive (income)/loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(127,000)	116,000
Comprehensive loss attributable to ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc.	$ (7,848,000)	$ (10,661,000)
Loss from continuing operations per common share
Basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.57)	$ (0.71)
Loss from discontinued operations per common share
Basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.01)	$ (0.14)
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic and diluted (in shares)	11,357,907	10,706,521