Robot Installations Top 500,000 a Year; China Dominates

More than 4 million robotic units have been recorded as operating in factories worldwide, an increase of 10% from last year, according to the World Robotics 2024 Report. 

The annual study compiled by the International Federation of Robotics listed 4,281,585 robots at work globally, with annual installations exceeding 500,000 units for the third consecutive year. 

Last year comprised the second highest installations volume globally (541,000), 2% lower than the overall record (552,946) in 2022. 

By region, 70% of all newly deployed robots in 2023 were installed in Asia, 17% in Europe and 10% in the Americas.

Robotics handling was the largest growth market with 280,000 units installed, up 5% from the year prior. This is compared to 92,000 for welding robots, the second highest. 

The report is based on a sample of 298 companies. 

China leads the installation of industrial robots with 51% of the global installations. In total the operational stock was just shy of the 1.8-million-unit-mark in 2023, making China the first and only country in the world with such a large robot stock, the report noted.

Demand for robots in the country is expected to accelerate in the second half of 2024 – potentially reaching up to 10% average annual growth until 2027, according to the report. 

Japan remained the second largest global market for industrial robots, but installations were down last year by 9% (46,106 units). Similarly, installations in the Republic of Korea, the fourth largest market, had fallen 1% year-on-year.

The U.S. is the largest regional market, the report said, but installations were down 5% overall. They fell in the automotive industry by 15% but increased by 8% in the machinery industry.

In Europe. installations rose 9% to a new high of 92,393 units as delayed projects were completed, and the backlog was cleared in 2023, the report noted. Growth was strongly driven by the automotive industry investing in traditionally strong car manufacturing countries such as Spain, Slovakia and Hungary. 

In addition, U.K. industrial robot installations increased by 51%. 

Demand in developed nations is being driven by labor scarcity and a reconsideration of supply chains, with manufacturers wanting them to be closer to customers, the report noted. 

Automation is a way manufacturers can locate production in developed economies without sacrificing cost efficiency, it added.  

In India, robot installations increased 59% (8,510 units) in 2023 driven by the automotive industry with an increase of 139%. 

Overall growth in the global robotics industry is expected to accelerate in 2025 and continue in 2026 and 2027 with no signs that this overall long-term trend will end anytime soon.