Statistics released today on factory automation show that 542,000 industrial robots were installed in 2024—more than double the number 10 years ago—according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
The group’s latest report says annual installations topped 500,000 units for the fourth straight year. Asia accounted for 74% of new deployments in 2024, compared with 16% in Europe and 9% in the Americas.
More specifically, China was by far the world’s largest market in 2024, representing 54% of global deployments. And domestic production is on the rise, since for the first time, Chinese manufacturers sold more than foreign suppliers in their home country. Their domestic market share climbed to 57% in 2024, up from about 28% over the past decade. China’s operational robot stock exceeded the 2 million unit mark in 2024, the largest of any country. And there is no indication that robot demand in China will decrease, with the potential for Chinese manufacturing to post 10% growth on average each year until 2028.
In the rest of Asia, Japan maintained its position as the second-largest market for industrial robots, with 44,500 units installed in 2024 – a slight 4% decrease. The market in the Republic of Korea installed 30,600 units in 2024 – down 3% but still sufficient to make the country the fourth largest robot market in the world in terms of annual installations in 2024, after the United States, Japan, and China. And India continues to grow with a record of 9,100 units installed in 2024 – up 7%.
“The new World Robotics statistics show 2024 the second highest annual installation count of industrial robots in history – only 2% lower than the all-time-high two years ago,” Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics, said in a release. “The transition of many industries into the digital and automated age has been marked by a huge surge in demand. The total number of industrial robots in operational use worldwide was 4,664,000 units in 2024 – an increase of 9% compared to the previous year.”
Elsewhere, industrial robot installations in Europe fell 8% to 85,000 units in 2024, still the second largest number recorded in history. Germany is the largest robot market in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world. Installations fell 5% to 26,982 units in 2024, which is the second-best result recorded after the record year of 2023. The number of installations in Italy, the second largest European market, fell by 16% to 8,783 units. Spain is now in third place (5,100 units), France (4,900 units) moved down to fourth place, with a 24% decrease, and in the UK, industrial robot installations were down 35% to 2,500 units in 2024.
In the Americas, robot installations overall exceeded 50,000 units for the fourth year in a row, led by the U.S.’s 68% of installations for the region. in the Americas in 2024. The United States imported most of its 34,200 robots from Japan and Europe, with few domestic suppliers. However, there are numerous domestic robot system integrators implementing robotic automation solutions. Nearby, Mexico reached 5,600 units in 2024, a decrease of 4%, and Canadian robot installations declined by 12% to 3,800 units.
Looking forward, IFR said the robotics industry is not immune to global macroeconomic conditions, but there is no indication that the overall long-term growth trend will come to an end any time soon. While regional trends vary substantially, the aggregate global trajectory remains positive, with global robot installations expected to grow by 6% to 575,000 units in 2025, and to surpass the 700,000-unit mark by 2028.
