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Yes, one thing probably is the 'need' for warm socks, sweaters, scarfs which traditionally means knitting. And as far as I know till the 'birth' of the granny square, most crocheting was done for decorative things or accessories.

When I look at the knitters I encounter at Ravelry or other online places, most of them are European or from the bigger former British colonies: USA, Canada and a bit of Australia/New Zealand. Knitters from other regions are rare - though there definitely are regions in South America or elsewhere with winter weather where you need warm socks and scarfs and sweaters...