Rise of the robots

We present global market forecasts, key trends, advanced technologies and new requirements for industrial robotics from the International Federation of Robotics.

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The global operational stock of industrial robots surged 9% to a record five million units in 2025, according to the recently released ‘World Robotics 2026 Report’ from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). This was driven by an 11% jump in annual installations. Factories worldwide installed more than 600,000 new units over the year.

“Industrial automation is progressing at high speed,” commented Jane Heffner, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “The new mark of five million robots operational in factories worldwide is more than double the number seven years ago. The strongest growth is taking place in Asia, followed by Americas. Europe is moving ahead more slowly,” she continued.

Structural drivers such as demographic change will continue to support robotics’ demand, said the IFR, while technological progress is expanding the range of technologically feasible and economically viable robot applications. Advances in artificial intelligence, machine vision and sensing are increasing robot capabilities, while easier programming and system integration are reducing deployment costs and opening automation to new applications and customer groups.

An eye on Asia 

China has further strengthened its position as the world leader in robot adoption. 

According to the IFR’s ‘World Robotics 2026 Report’, annual installations grew by 20% year-on-year and now account for 59% of global deployments. The latest figures show that 354,000 industrial robots were installed in 2025 – exceeding last year's annual total record by almost 60,000 units. 

“Chinese manufacturers have sold more than foreign suppliers in their home country. Their installations rose by 15%, reaching 195,000 units – a domestic market share of 55% in 2025, compared to 57% in 2024,” explained the IFR.

Annual installations in China reached 295,000 units in 2024. This represents a global market share of 54%. This success story is based on the country's national robotics strategy, which was launched ten years ago. China's recently published 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) now has placed robotics at the heart of its modern industrial system. The aim is to focus its AI research on physical applications, with robots being the main driver of economic growth.

“Japan is the second-largest market for industrial robots in Asia, with 36,219 units installed in 2025 – a 19% decrease. On a global scale, Japan’s market size moved down from second to third position, behind the United States. Demand for robots is expected to grow slightly, but a major recovery is unlikely in the short to medium term,” added the IFR.

The IFR report confirmed that the market in the Republic of Korea installed 30,000 units in 2025 – down 1%. 

“Annual installations had been trending sideways of around 31,000 units since 2019. The country remained the fourth largest market worldwide. New investments from the automotive industry will come into effect in 2027 and 2028. Demand for robots in Korea may break the established trend and grow in 2027,” outlined the Federation.

“India installed almost 10,500 units in 2025 - up 15%, claiming sixth place worldwide, behind Germany. Although the volume of new installations is still relatively low compared to the top five established robot adopting countries, India’s growth is remarkable: Between 2020-2025, annual installations grew by 27% on average per year (CAGR),” it added.

To read the rest of this article in the October 2026 issue of ISMR, see https://joom.ag/pDfd/p48