Trending
Global demand for industrial robots reached a historic high last year. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the number of operational industrial robots worldwide surpassed 5 million in 2025.
The global robot stock increased 9% year on year. Meanwhile, new installations rose 11% to more than 600,000 units.
China continued to dominate the global industrial robot market. The country increased annual installations by 20% to 354,000 units.
That figure represented about 59% of global robot installations during the year. Chinese manufacturers also captured 55% of their domestic market.
The United States moved into second place after installations increased 12% to 38,500 units. Japan, meanwhile, dropped to third place after installations fell 19% to 36,219 units.
South Korea retained fourth place with 30,200 installations. Germany followed with 24,800 units, down 8%.
India recorded stronger growth. Its installations increased 15% to 10,500 units.
Several factors supported the expansion of factory automation. Persistent labour shortages in advanced economies encouraged companies to adopt robots.
OpenAI Safety Former Employee Warns Rapid AI Development Raises Risks
At the same time, supply-chain reshoring increased demand for automated production. AI-focused technologies also helped lower deployment costs, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Global demand could rise further in the coming years. The IFR expects annual installations to reach 655,000 units in 2026 and 806,000 by 2029.
Germany remained the largest European market. It accounted for 41% of all industrial robot installations in the European Union.
However, German growth slowed during the year. Italy, France and Spain also recorded declines in installations.
The figures point to uneven automation growth across major European manufacturing economies.
Türkiye ranked 17th globally in annual industrial robot installations. New installations fell 9% to 3,194 units, compared with a record 4,429 units in 2023.
Despite the decline in annual installations, Türkiye’s operational robot stock increased 7%. The country reached a record fleet of 30,990 active robots, ranking 15th worldwide.
The metal industry remained Türkiye’s largest automation buyer. Installations in the sector rose 8% to 990 units, giving it a 31% share of the domestic market.
Türkiye’s metal industry had 6,774 robots in active operation. Meanwhile, the automotive sector increased its robot inventory by 3% to 889 units.
The auto industry accounted for 28% of new installations and had 11,017 active robots.
Automation demand weakened in several other Turkish industries. Robot installations in electrical and electronics manufacturing fell 37% to 136 units.
The food, beverage and tobacco sector also recorded a sharp decline. Installations dropped 40% to 144 units.
Globally, handling operations and machine tending accounted for 59% of new robot installations. Welding and soldering represented another 16%.
Despite rapid growth, industrial robot density remains relatively low in many manufacturing industries.
The global average stood at 52 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers. The automotive industry recorded a much higher density of 374 robots per 10,000 workers.
Other manufacturing industries had a density of about 35 robots per 10,000 workers.
The figures show how AI, labour shortages and supply-chain changes are reshaping factory automation. However, adoption rates continue to vary significantly across countries and industries.
[…] Industrial Robots China Leads Global Market With 354,000 New Units in 2025 […]