Industry data · Robotics News
Industrial Automation Market: Record Robot Installs in 2025 and the Outlook to 2029
Factories installed about 603,000 industrial robots in 2025, a record. Charts of installations by year, country and industry, plus the IFR forecast to 2029.
By Robotbids · · 5 min read · Updated
Factories installed more industrial robots in 2025 than in any year on record. After four years stuck at about 550,000 units a year, annual installations jumped 11% to roughly 603,000, and the number of robots working in factories worldwide passed five million for the first time.
Key takeaways
- About 603,000 industrial robots were installed in 2025 (+11%), a new record. The previous high was 552,946 in 2022.
- China installed 59% of them. The United States moved up to second place, ahead of Japan.
- Electronics, automotive and metal and machinery buy about three in four robots between them.
- IFR expects 655,000 installations in 2026 and 806,000 by 2029, so demand for used and refurbished robots should keep rising too.
- 603,000
- Robots installed in 2025
- 5.08 million
- Robots operating worldwide
- $18.6bn
- Value of robot installations
+11% on 2024
Up 9% in 2025
Up 11% in 2025
A record year after a long plateau
Installations crossed half a million for the first time in 2021, set a then-record of 552,946 in 2022, and then barely moved: 541,302 in 2023 and 542,076 in 2024. Demand from the car industry cooled while electronics and general industry held the total up. 2025 broke the pattern.
Industrial robots installed worldwide
Units installed per year, with IFR forecasts for 2026 and 2029
- 552.9k2022
- 541.3k2023
- 542.1k2024
- 603.3k2025
- 655k2026forecast
- 806k2029forecast
Source: IFR, World Robotics 2025 and 2026. Hatched bars are IFR forecasts, not measurements.
Where the robots went
China installed 354,000 robots in 2025, up 20% and 59% of the world total. Chinese robot makers now supply 55% of their home market, up from about 30% in 2019 to 2021. The United States installed almost 38,500 (+12%) and overtook Japan, which fell 19% to 36,219. Germany, the largest European market, slipped 8% to fewer than 25,000.
Industrial robot installations by country, 2025
Units installed in the year
- China354,000354,000
- United States38,50038,500
- Japan36,21936,219
- South Korea30,00030,000
- Germany<25,000<25,000
- India~10,500~10,500
Source: IFR, World Robotics 2026 press release (24 September 2026). US, Korea, India are rounded by IFR.
Which industries are buying
Electronics took the top spot again with 142,235 robots, narrowly ahead of automotive at 138,429. The fastest-growing customer was metal and machinery: 108,571 robots, up 22%, now 18% of all installations.
Robot installations by customer industry, 2025
Units installed worldwide
- Electrical / electronics142,235142,235
- Automotive138,429138,429
- Metal and machinery108,571108,571
Source: IFR, World Robotics 2026 executive summary. Chemicals, food and other industries are not shown.
What it means for buyers and sellers
- Buyers: with demand at a record, it is worth pricing used options before committing to a new order. Compare current industrial robot arms and collaborative arms.
- Sellers: a plant upgrading to newer models is the usual source of good used inventory. If that is you, listing on Robotbids costs nothing until a robot sells.
Browse robots on Robotbids
New, used and refurbished robots from sellers worldwide.
Sources
- IFR: Five Million Robots now Operate in Factories Globally (World Robotics 2026) Installations by country, 2026 and 2029 forecasts.
- IFR: Global Robot Demand in Factories Doubles Over 10 Years (World Robotics 2025) 2024 installations and operational stock.
- IFR: Executive Summary, World Robotics 2025 Industrial Robots Annual installations 2022 to 2024 and industry shares.
- Inside Deep Tech: IFR World Robotics 2026 full guide Secondary report of the 2026 executive summary: exact 2025 installs, stock, market value and industry figures.
