Japan’s Robot orders see strong rebound in Q4 2024

The number of units ordered also saw considerable growth, rising by 27.6% YoY to 46,499 units.

Japan's robot orders have reached JPY210.2b in the fourth quarter of 2024, marking a significant year-on-year (YoY) increase of 33.2%, data from Japan Robot Association said.

The number of units ordered also saw considerable growth, rising by 27.6% YoY to 46,499 units.

This surge was fuelled by a robust recovery in the demand for electronic component assembly machines and indications of improvement in manipulation robots, especially vertical articulated robots. Notably, both order value and volume rose for the second consecutive quarter.

Production value also grew by 3.7% YoY to JPY181.4b, the first time in seven quarters. Despite this, the number of units produced slipped by 1% YoY to 42,833 units. 

The total shipment value also dipped by 0.3% YoY to JPY182.3b, whilst total shipment volume decreased by 8.6% YoY to 42,250 units. This marked the seventh consecutive quarter of decline in shipment value and the eighth consecutive decline in shipment volume.

Domestically, demand from the electrical machinery manufacturing sector, excluding electronic component assembly applications, remained stable, whilst demand from the automotive sector rose, particularly for arc welding and material handling robots.

Exports fell by 1.9% YoY to JPY133.7b, with the volume of units exported declining by 12.3% YoY to 31,980 units. Whilst there was a significant drop in demand for material handling and spot welding applications, there was an increase in demand for robots utilised in electronic component assembly and semiconductor manufacturing.

Notably, exports to China rose for the first time in seven quarters, indicating a potential recovery.

Although shipments to Asia showed signs of improvement, exports to Europe and North America continued to decline.

The rapid recovery in the fourth quarter offset earlier declines for 2024, resulting in an annual order value of JPY724.5b—an increase of 0.1% YoY. The annual production value decreased by 11.5% YoY, totalling JPY692b.