Dear Reader,
Dear Robotics Community,

It is my privilege to introduce the 39th annual World Robotics report for Industrial Robots, which is a leading source of information benchmarking the worldwide industrial robotics production and usage, providing global and country-by-country statistical data, enriched by classifications on robot types, applications and market segments.

What are the key findings for this year?

After a four-year period of stagnation around 550,000 units/year, robot shipment numbers went up again in 2025, reaching a record level of 603,307 units/year (+11.2%), across all robot types and applications. Once again, this year’s robot installation figures reflect their exposure to regional automotive market & production capacity shifts. But the demand for robots in other general industry sectors, particularly in the electronics industry, is also continuing to grow.

Asia has further solidified its position as the world’s largest robot market, with a total number of 457,315 robot shipments (+13.3%). While China alone is now absorbing 354,226 units (77.5 % of total Asia), other strong Asian regions like Korea reported stagnating demand. Japan, the world’s largest exporter of robots, is facing a significant decline of domestic market shipments (-18.5%). India, an emerging economy, successfully continued building up robot automation capabilities in general manufacturing sectors (10,487 units, +15%).

Robot shipments to Europe continued to slow down from a former record level in 2023 across almost all European countries, now reporting 73,054 units (-14%). Significant reluctance to invest was evident throughout all industries, specifically in the automotive industry (-26.4%) affecting other industrial sectors (incl. the European T1/T2 supplier infrastructure) as well.

Annual sales in the Americas grew to 57,044 robot units (+12%), with impressive growth in the Mercosur region (+40,3%). North America installations (47,539 units) turned up (+8%) to the third-largest peak ever. Growth was driven mainly by domestic food & beverage production investments, while Automotive/T1 installations have been stagnant for years now. Only shipment volumes to Mexico declined (-8%) this year.

The installation numbers in Africa (519 units) and Australia (569 units) remain very low.

Exciting Times for Robot Suppliers!

With a global operational stock of over 5 million units, Industrial robots are core components of automated production across virtually every sector, becoming strategic enablers of industrial resilience and long-term growth.

After successful years of expanding proven robotic technology into many markets and applications, the robotics scene is currently undergoing a technology innovation boost, characterized by the term “Physical AI”. While established robotics technology (made for high volume/low mix and repetitive movements) will continue to lead in terms of the number of installations, more broader application addressability is now accomplished by intelligent and adaptive robotic systems capable of operating in dynamic production environments. Advances in IT technologies – such as AI, machine vision, force sensing, digital twins, edge/cloud-based computing, and industrial connectivity - enable robots to perceive, learn, and interact more effectively with their surroundings. Collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots, and skill-based software ecosystems are expanding the scope of automation even beyond conventional factory applications. Additionally, humanoid robots are making great strides towards operational readiness as well. The convergence of Operational Automation Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) is key to creating smart manufacturing software where adaptive robots recognize their workpiece/environment setup and select prepared or pre-trained skills according to the given situation.

Challenging Times for Robot Suppliers!

Industrial robot and component suppliers, as well as their customers, are challenged by a combination of market, workforce, regulatory, trade barrier and competitive dynamics, affecting the long-term predictability of production equipment investments - however uncertainties may potentially generate even new robotic business opportunities in the future. The enactment of new safety and data security regulations, such as the EU Cyber Resilience Act, will also necessitate product and supply chain adaptions offering further opportunities.

Many robot suppliers moved production capacity to China intending to reduce production cost and being closer to the world’s largest robot market. Domestic Chinese robot brands are gaining market share in China and now leverage this by exporting their products overseas putting pressure on established suppliers from Japan, Korea and Europe.

The competitive advantage of a robot supplier will shift from hardware toward software and integrated solutions. Many SME still find robot deployment too complex - function packages, engineering tools, application wizards and pre-trained skill sets are key factors for economic deployment of robotic solutions.

Traditional robot suppliers must determine how far Physical AI and Humanoids become game changers and carefully balance their investments while maintaining business profitability. Investors who are pouring billions into physical AI – which in turn is driving research forward significantly - should carefully monitor how quickly the bet on millions of humanoid robots in industrial applications pay off. Market pull must follow the current technology push.

Closing Remark

The robotics community is in the middle of a vibrant, exciting, and inspiring period! We wish you an enjoyable reading experience and many valuable insights as you explore this IFR World Robotics 2026 report.