Global Factory Robot Fleet Surpasses Major Milestone as Automation Accelerates
According to a global industry report, the number of operational industrial robots increased 9% annually last year, while new installations climbed 11% to more than 600,000 units.
China continued to dominate the global industrial robotics market, with annual installations rising 20% to 354,000 units. The country accounted for 59% of all new industrial robot deployments worldwide, while Chinese manufacturers increased their share of the domestic market to 55%.
Japan recorded a 19% decline in installations to 36,219 units, allowing the United States to move into second place globally. US installations increased 12% to 38,500 units during the year.
South Korea remained in fourth place with 30,200 newly installed robots, followed by Germany, where installations declined 8% to 24,800 units. India recorded stronger growth, with installations increasing 15% to 10,500 units.
Within Europe, Germany remained the largest market, accounting for 41% of industrial robot installations across the European Union. However, its growth slowed, while Italy, France and Spain all recorded declines in robot installations.
Global demand for industrial robots is expected to continue expanding in the coming years. Installations are projected to reach 655,000 units this year and rise further to 806,000 by 2029.
The expansion is being supported by several factors, including persistent labor shortages in developed economies, the relocation of production closer to major markets and advances in AI-based technologies that are reducing the cost and complexity of deploying automation systems.
Smaller and medium-sized businesses are also increasingly adopting robotic technologies as lower deployment costs and improved automation capabilities make industrial robots more accessible.
Türkiye ranked 17th in the global industrial robot market last year, although new installations declined 9% to 3,194 units. The figure represented a slowdown from the country’s record of 4,429 installations recorded in 2023.
Despite the decline in new installations, Türkiye’s total operational robot fleet expanded 7% to reach a record 30,990 units. The country ranked 15th globally in terms of its installed industrial robot stock.
The metal industry remained Türkiye’s largest buyer of automation technology. Robot installations in the sector increased 8% to 990 units, giving it a 31% share of the country’s new installations. The sector had 6,774 robots actively operating in factories.
Türkiye’s automotive industry also maintained a significant level of robot adoption. The sector’s industrial robot inventory increased 3% to 889 units, accounting for 28% of new installations and bringing the total number of active robots in the sector to 11,017.
Other major industries experienced weaker demand for automation. Installations in electrical and electronics manufacturing, including household appliances and electrical machinery, dropped 37% to 136 units.
The food, beverage and tobacco products segment recorded an even sharper decline, with annual robot installations falling 40% to 144 units.
Globally, handling operations and machine tending represented the largest application for newly installed robots, accounting for 59% of deployments. Welding and soldering applications represented another 16% of installations.
Despite the rapid expansion of industrial robotics, robot density remains relatively low across manufacturing. The global manufacturing sector had an average of 52 industrial robots for every 10,000 workers.
Automation levels were substantially higher in the automotive industry, where robot density reached 374 units per 10,000 workers. By comparison, other manufacturing industries recorded an average density of 35 robots per 10,000 workers.
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