Industrial
The global operational stock of industrial robots rose 9% to a record 5 million units in 2025, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Factories worldwide installed more than 600,000 new units last year, an 11% jump in annual installations, underscoring how quickly automation is spreading across manufacturing.
“Industrial automation is progressing at high speed,” said IFR president Jane Heffner. She noted that the 5 million mark is more than double the number of operational robots seven years ago, with the strongest growth in Asia, followed by the Americas, while Europe moves ahead more slowly. Jon Quick, CEO of Launchpad Build AI, added that capabilities are increasing exponentially while costs come down, and that “everyone is awake and attuned to the possibilities.”
“Industrial automation is progressing at high speed,” said IFR president Jane Heffner. She noted that the 5 million mark is more than double the number of operational robots seven years ago, with the strongest growth in Asia, followed by the Americas, while Europe moves ahead more slowly.
China has further strengthened its position as the world leader in robot adoption, the IFR said. Annual installations there grew 20% year over year and now account for 59% of global deployments. The Frankfurt, Germany-based organization found that 354,000 industrial robots were installed in China in 2025, exceeding the previous year’s total by almost 60,000 units. Chinese manufacturers outsold foreign suppliers in their home market, with their installations rising 15% to 195,000 units — a domestic market share of 55% in 2025, down from 57% in 2024.
Quick observed that China’s dominance in installations, while impressive, won’t alone solve its export challenges or improve domestic consumption levels, and that the picture offers huge potential opportunities to manufacturers elsewhere. Japan ranks as the second largest market for industrial robots in Asia, with 36,219 units installed.
Source: The Robot Report