The number of industrial robots operating in factories worldwide reached a record five million units in 2025, according to the World Robotics 2026 Report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
The global operational stock increased 9% during the year, while annual installations rose 11% to more than 600,000 units, the IFR said. The federation reported that growth was strongest in Asia, followed by the Americas, while Europe recorded slower expansion.
“Industrial automation is progressing at high speed,” said Jane Heffner, president of the IFR. “The new mark of five million robots operational in factories worldwide is more than double the number seven years ago.”
China remained the largest market, with 354,000 industrial robots installed in 2025, up 20% year-on-year and accounting for 59% of global deployments. Installations by Chinese manufacturers in the domestic market increased 15% to 195,000 units, giving them a 55% share of domestic installations.
The United States overtook Japan to become the second-largest market globally, with installations increasing 12% to almost 38,500 units. Japan recorded 36,219 installations, down 19%, while South Korea installed 30,000 units, a 1% decline.
India recorded almost 10,500 installations, up 15%, placing it sixth globally. The IFR said annual installations in India grew at an average rate of 27% between 2020 and 2025.
In Europe, Germany remained the region’s largest market, although installations fell 8% to fewer than 25,000 units. Italy recorded about 7,800 installations, down 11%, while France and Spain recorded declines of 8% and 15%, respectively.
The IFR expects global industrial robot installations to increase another 9% in 2026 to 655,000 units, before reaching 806,000 units in 2029. It said demand is being supported by manufacturing relocation, supply-chain resilience requirements, labour shortages and advances in technologies including artificial intelligence, machine vision and sensing.
“While this may shift the regional pattern of robot demand, there is no indication that the long-term growth trend in industrial robotics is coming to an end from a global perspective,” the IFR said.
This keeps the focus on the global manufacturing and automation figures while retaining the regional differences and IFR’s outlook without adding interpretation beyond the report.
