Industrial robotic deployments have continued to climb throughout a lot of the world. Click on right here to enlarge. Supply: Worldwide Federation of Robotics.
Factories worldwide are implementing extra automation, in response to the “World Robotics 2025” report from the Worldwide Federation of Robotics, or IFR. The group mentioned the robotic density, or variety of items per 10,000 workers, has risen throughout three continents.
The IFR famous that Western Europe specifically elevated its robotic density to 267 robots per 10,000 workers in 2024 — forward of North America with 204 items and Asia with 131 items.
“The robotic density metric offers a uniform foundation for comparability by relating the whole variety of robots utilized in a rustic to its financial measurement, as measured by its workforce,” acknowledged Takayuki Ito, president of the IFR.
The Frankfurt, Germany-based group beforehand reported that common international robotic density had doubled from 2014 to 2024. The IFR defined that its measurement can cowl manufacturing as an entire or simply particular industrial branches. “The variety of workers serves as a measure of financial measurement, so the quotient of operational inventory over workers places the operational inventory on a uniform base,” it mentioned.
Europe takes the lead in robotic density
Western European international locations recorded a robotic density enhance of three% yr over yr. 9 nations within the area positioned within the international prime 20, together with Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Spain.
The 27 members of the European Union reached a robotic density of 231 items, which is above the worldwide common of 132 items per 10,000 workers. The IFR final yr mentioned that Europe’s automotive sector continued to drive industrial robotic gross sales.
Supply: Worldwide Federation of Robotics
North American robotics utilization additionally grows
North America´s robotic density rose by 4% in 2024, mentioned the IFR. The U.S. ranked eighth worldwide with 307 items per 10,000 workers, additionally largely as a consequence of its automakers. The report comes as U.S. lawmakers have more and more turned their consideration to robotics, AI, and industrial coverage for competitiveness and nationwide safety.
“It was clear in A3’s current robotic orders report that North America is seeing a surge in robotic orders,” Robert Little, chief of robotics technique at Novanta Inc., advised The Robotic Report. “That aligns with the greater than $7 trillion in manufacturing investments introduced or beneath means since 2025, mixed with a persistent scarcity of expert manufacturing labor. Producers nonetheless must construct, so they need to automate. Count on this development to proceed for a few years.”
Canada adopted with 241 items, and Mexico with 62 items.
Asian adoption will increase, however China revises statistics
Asia had a median robotic density of 131 items per 10,000 manufacturing employees — a rise of 11%. The IFR additionally mentioned the economies of the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Japan, and Chinese language Taipei had been among the many prime 10 most automated worldwide.
Based mostly on up to date labor market knowledge issued by China’s Nationwide Bureau of Statistics, China ranked sixth in Asia and twenty second worldwide. It had 166 robots for each 10,000 folks employed, which was a year-on-year enhance of 17%.
“As a big nation with an enormous manufacturing workforce, China requires a big operational inventory, with a presence not solely in its manufacturing hubs, but in addition in its rural areas, with a purpose to obtain excessive robotic density,” defined the IFR. “China’s excellent place within the discipline of business robotics is clearly demonstrated by its spectacular operational inventory, which is the biggest on this planet.”
The nation counted round 2 million items — roughly 4.5 instances greater than Japan, which was in second place. As well as, 295,000 items, or 54% of all robots put in worldwide in 2024, had been deployed in China, the IFR mentioned.
“Whereas the revised numbers on China point out they path different main international locations in robotic density, on the adoption tempo China is on versus these different international locations, they’re prone to advance rapidly,” Jeff Burnstein, president of the Affiliation for Advancing Automation (A3), advised The Robotic Report. “A3 believes that the U.S. wants a nationwide robotics technique with a purpose to catch as much as different international locations which can be adopting robotics at a quicker tempo.”
“There was a change, a correction, a re-assessment,” Aaron Prather, director of robotics and autonomous programs applications at ASTM Worldwide, posted on LinkedIn. “New knowledge from China’s Nationwide Bureau of Statistics has considerably modified China’s robotic density numbers, and we’re going to need to rethink how we see China as a robotic energy in terms of sure knowledge factors.”
“I like that we’ve new knowledge, and it seems to be higher knowledge, so very joyful to see the correction,” he added. “Nonetheless, it’s also going to affect how we talk about the rising aspect of geopolitics inside robotics.”
Editor’s word: Prather will ship a keynote on “The State of Humanoids” on the 2026 Robotics Summit & Expo subsequent month. Registration is now open.
The IFR ranks main international locations and territories
The Republic of Korea reported the world´s highest robotic density, with 1,220 robots per 10,000 workers, rising by 7% on common yearly since 2019. “With its globally acknowledged electronics business and a definite automotive business, the Korean financial system advantages from these two largest clients for industrial robots,” mentioned the IFR.
Singapore was second with 818 items. As a small nation with a low variety of manufacturing workers, it will probably attain a excessive robotic density with a comparatively small operational inventory. The IFR added that the nation’s robotic density has been rising by 13% per yr since 2019. Corporations in Singapore are additionally working to train students in rising bodily AI.
Germany ranked third, with 449 items per 10,000 workers. The “World Robotics 2025” report mentioned robotic density in Europe’s largest financial system had grown by 5% per yr since 2019. Nonetheless, the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association warned in February that Germany is shedding market share.
Fourth was Japan, with 446 items. Robotic density of the world’s main robotic producer had been rising by 5% yearly since 2019.
Sweden (377), Denmark (329), Slovenia (315), the U.S. (307), and Chinese language Taipei (or Taiwan, 302), and Switzerland (294) rounded out the IFR’s prime 10.
Whereas the variety of items has elevated, income from robotic gross sales dropped from 2023 to 2024, in response to a report final yr from Work together Evaluation. It cited a post-COVID dip in demand, excessive rates of interest, and an automotive slowdown as that business pivoted away from electrification, however it additionally predicted a rebound.
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