The global operational stock of industrial robots surged 9% to a record 5 million units in 2025. This was driven by an 11% jump in annual installations: Factories worldwide installed more than 600,000 new units over the year.

“Industrial automation is progressing at high speed,” says Jane Heffner, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “The new mark of five million robots operational in factories worldwide is more than double the number seven years ago. The strongest growth is taking place in Asia, followed by Americas. Europe is moving ahead more slowly.

Asia - overview

China has further strengthened its position as the world leader in robot adoption. Annual installations grew by 20% year-on-year and now account for 59% of global deployments. The latest figures show that 354,000 industrial robots have been installed in 2025 – even exceeding last year's annual total record by almost 60,000 units. Chinese manufacturers have sold more than foreign suppliers in their home country. Their installations rose by 15%, reaching 195,000 units – a domestic market share of 55% in 2025 compared to 57% in 2024.

Japan is the second-largest market for industrial robots in Asia, with 36,219 units installed in 2025 – a 19% decrease. On a global scale, Japan´s market size moved down from second to third position, behind the United States. Demand for robots is expected to grow slightly, but a major recovery is unlikely in the short to medium term.

The market in the Republic of Korea installed 30,000 units in 2025 – down 1%. Annual installations had been trending sideways of around 31,000 units since 2019. The country remained the fourth largest market worldwide. New investments from the automotive industry will come into effect in 2027 and 2028. Demand for robots in Korea may break the established trend and grow in 2027.

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