Demand for factory robots doubles in 10 years

Asia accounted for 74% of robot deployments in 2024.

There were 542,000 industrial robots installed in 2024, more than double the number 10 years ago, according to the World Robotics 2025 statistics.

Asia accounted for 74% of new deployments in 2024, compared with 16% in Europe and 9% in the Americas.

Robot installations in 2024 were the second-highest annual installation count in history, only 2% lower than the all-time high in 2022.

“The transition of many industries into the digital and automated age has been marked by a huge surge in demand. The total number of industrial robots in operational use worldwide was 4,664,000 units in 2024 – an increase of 9% compared to the previous year,” Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics, said.

China is by far the world’s largest market in 2024, representing 54% of global deployments. The latest figures show that 295,000 industrial robots have been installed - the highest annual total on record.

For the first time, Chinese manufacturers have sold more than foreign suppliers in their home country. Their domestic market share climbed to 57% last year, up from about 28% over the past decade.

China’s operational robot stock exceeded the 2 million mark in 2024, the largest of any country. As robotics in China is opening up new markets, there is no indication that robot demand in China will decrease. There is still a lot of potential in Chinese manufacturing for 10% growth on average each year until 2028.

In Japan, there were 44,500 units installed in 2024, a slight 4% decrease. However, it still maintained its position as the second-largest market for industrial robots.

The country's operational stock rose by 3%, with 450,500 units now in use. Demand for robots will grow slightly by lower single-digit rates in 2025. It will then accelerate to a medium single-digit rate on average in the next few years.

The market in the Republic of Korea installed 30,600 units in 2024, down 3%. Annual installations had been trending sideways of around 31,000 units since 2019. The country is the fourth largest robot market in the world in terms of annual installations in 2024, after the United States, Japan, and China.

Meanwhile, India continues to grow with a record of 9,100 units installed in 2024, up 7%. The automotive industry was the strongest driver with a market share of 45%. In terms of annual installations, India ranks sixth worldwide, one place up behind Germany.

Global robot installations are expected to grow by 6% to 575,000 units in 2025 and is expected to reach 700,000 units by 2028.