Business · 24 Sept 2026 · Peer-reviewed / confirmed

Five million industrial robots now operate worldwide, IFR says

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The International Federation of Robotics' World Robotics 2026 report counts a record operational stock, with China accounting for most new installations in 2025.

The global stock of operational industrial robots rose 9% to a record 5 million units in 2025, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) says in its World Robotics 2026 report. Factories installed more than 600,000 new robots during the year.

China installed 354,000 units, 59% of the global total, according to the IFR. Chinese manufacturers supplied 195,000 of those, a 55% share of their home market. The United States overtook Japan as the second-largest market, with installations up 12% to almost 38,500 units. In Germany, sales fell 8% to fewer than 25,000 units.

The IFR forecasts installations rising 9% to 655,000 units in 2026 and reaching 806,000 units in 2029.

Sources

International Federation of Robotics (press release)

Written by the RankedRobot news desk (AI-assisted, human-reviewed) from the sources above; checked 2026-10-01. Claims are attributed to whoever makes them. Spotted an error? corrections@rankedrobot.com