World Robotics 2026 Report: U.S. market trails China by a wide margin

A total of 600,000 new robots were installed worldwide in 2025 alone, a record and 11 percent more than in the previous year. Overall, around 5 million industrial robots are currently in operation, an increase of 9 percent compared with the year before. The global installed base has therefore doubled within seven years.

Asia, and China in particular, is the leading region for robot deployment. New installations increased by 20 percent year over year, significantly outpacing the global average. As a result, China accounted for 354,000 of the 600,000 new robots installed worldwide (59%).

Japan is the second-largest robotics market in Asia, although 19 percent fewer new units were installed there than in the previous year. Globally, the United States has the second-largest robotics market. For the first time, the U.S. overtook Japan, with new installations rising by 12 percent to nearly 38,500 robots—almost one-tenth of China's installed base.

Europe's largest robotics market is Germany, which accounts for 41 percent of all robot installations across the continent. However, installations in Germany fell by 8 percent to fewer than 25,000 units, while annual growth stands at around 2 percent. The automotive industry remains the largest user of industrial robots in Germany, although its share is declining, according to the IFR.

Driven by advances in AI, machine vision, and sensor technology, as well as the shortage of skilled workers and demographic change, the IFR expects a further 9 percent increase in 2026. The full report is linked in the source.