"World Robotics Report 2025" veröffentlicht: China dominiert die Weltmarktbeteiligung, Indien springt auf Platz sechs, Japan, die USA, Südkorea und Deutschland verlieren an Marktanteil.

The automotive industry has become the biggest variable, with the share of Chinese domestic brands exceeding that of foreign ones for the first time.

On September 25th, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) released the "World Robotics Report 2025" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"). Data shows that in 2024, the global installation volume of industrial robots reached 542,000 units, more than doubling compared to a decade ago. The annual installation volume has exceeded 500,000 units for the fourth consecutive year. In terms of regional distribution, Asia accounted for 74% of the global new deployment volume, Europe accounted for 16%, and the Americas accounted for 9%, showing significant regional differences.

China, as the world's largest industrial robot market, had an outstanding performance in 2024. The installation volume reached 295,000 units, setting a new historical high and accounting for 54% of the global deployment volume.

Other major markets showed varying degrees of decline. Japan maintained its position as the world's second - largest industrial robot market. In 2024, the installation volume was 44,500 units, a 4% year - on - year decrease.

The United States ranked third in the world. In 2024, the installation volume of industrial robots was 34,200 units, a 9% year - on - year decrease.

South Korea had an installation volume of 30,600 units in 2024, a 3% year - on - year decrease, ranking fourth globally.

Germany, as the largest industrial robot market in Europe and the fifth - largest in the world, saw its installation volume decrease by 5% to 27,000 units in 2024.

Takayuki Ito, the President of the International Federation of Robotics, said that in 2024, the annual installation volume of industrial robots reached the second - highest in history, only 2% lower than the peak two years ago. This is due to the large - scale demand generated by the digital and automated transformation of multiple industries. In 2024, the total number of industrial robots in use globally reached 4.664 million units, a 9% year - on - year increase.

Looking ahead, the "Report" points out that although the trends of regional markets vary significantly, the global market as a whole is still in a positive trend. It is expected that the global robot installation volume will increase by 6% to 575,000 units in 2025 and will exceed 700,000 units in 2028.

1. The global industrial robot market has doubled in ten years,

China leads the world with a 54% share

In the past ten years, the demand in the global industrial robot market has doubled. The "Report" shows that the installation volume of global industrial robots climbed from 221,000 units in 2014 to 542,000 units in 2024. Meanwhile, the operational stock of industrial robots also increased from 1.472 million units in 2014 to 4.664 million units in 2024, and the depth and breadth of application continue to expand.

In terms of application fields, the general industry performed strongly. The proportion of industrial robot installation volume soared from 36% in 2014 to 53% in 2024, making up for the weakness of the automotive industry and becoming the dominant application field.

In 2024, the electrical/electronics industry had an installation volume of 129,000 units, a 2% year - on - year increase; the automotive industry had an installation volume of 126,000 units in 2024, a 7% year - on - year decrease; the metal and machinery, plastic and chemical product industries both increased by 18%, and the food industry increased significantly by 42%.

Meanwhile, the installation volume of collaborative robots also achieved double - digit growth, increasing from 11,100 units in 2017 to 64,500 units in 2024, and the proportion increased from 2.8% to 11.9%, gradually integrating into industrial production.

In terms of regional distribution, the installation volume of industrial robots in the Asia/Australia region reached 402,000 units in 2024, accounting for as high as 75% of the global industrial robot installation volume.

As the core engine of the Asia/Australia region, China occupies an absolute leading position in the global industrial robot market, achieving a "dual - dimensional lead" in new installation volume and operational stock.

In terms of new installation volume, in 2024, China ranked first in the world with 295,000 units, accounting for 54% of the global total, a 7% year - on - year increase. Meanwhile, the installation volumes of countries such as Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Germany, which followed closely, all declined to varying degrees. At the same time, the total installation volume of the top five global markets accounted for as high as 80%, showing a significant concentration effect at the top.

It is worth mentioning that the sales volume of domestic manufacturers in China exceeded that of foreign suppliers for the first time, and the market share soared from about 28% a decade ago to 57%.

In terms of application fields, China's industrial robots show a differentiated development trend. The electrical/electronics industry had an installation volume of 83,000 units in 2024, a 7% year - on - year increase.

The automotive industry had an installation volume of 57,200 units, a 12% year - on - year decrease; the general industry (not clearly classified) had an installation volume of 154,900 units, a 15% year - on - year increase, becoming the main growth driver; the installation volumes of emerging industries such as metal and machinery, and food also increased to varying degrees, and the application scenarios continued to expand.

In terms of operational stock, in 2024, the total operational stock of the top five global markets accounted for 76%. The operational stock of industrial robots in China reached 2.0272 million units, accounting for 43% of the global total, ranking first among all countries in the world. As robot technology continues to explore new markets, the "Report" predicts that by 2028, the demand for manufacturing robots in China still has the potential to achieve an average annual growth of 10%.

2. Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Germany are under collective pressure,

India rises to sixth place thanks to the automotive industry

The global industrial robot market shows significant differentiation in the regional pattern. The installation volumes of traditional core markets such as Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Germany have declined collectively, while India has achieved a ranking leapfrog relying on the strong demand of the automotive industry, becoming an important growth variable in the market.

As the world's second - largest industrial robot market, the Japanese industrial robot industry is facing a growth bottleneck. The "Report" shows that from 2014 to 2018, its installation volume increased from 29,000 units to 55,000 units, but the subsequent growth was weak, and it has been stable at around 46,000 units in recent years. In 2024, the installation volume further decreased to 44,500 units, a 4% year - on - year decrease. Only the operational stock maintained a 3% growth, reaching 450,500 units.

The growth bottleneck is mainly due to the weak demand in the industry, especially the significant decline in the two core application fields of electronics and automotive. Data shows that the electrical/electronics industry had an installation volume of only 13,900 units in 2024, a continuous and significant reduction compared to 14,900 units in 2023 and 18,300 units in 2022; the automotive industry is also under pressure. In 2024, the installation volume was 13,100 units, lower than 13,900 units in 2023 and 18,100 units in 2022. The decline of the two pillar industries makes Japan urgently need to find new growth drivers.

Turning to the Americas, the installation volume of industrial robots in this region was 50,100 units in 2024, a 10% year - on - year decrease. Although it has exceeded 50,000 units for four consecutive years, the growth rate is under pressure.

The United States is the largest regional market in the Americas. In 2024, its installation volume accounted for 68% of the total in the Americas, ranking third in the world. Its industrial robots are mostly imported from Japan and Europe, and there are few domestic suppliers. There are many robot system integrators in the country providing automation solutions.

In terms of industry application, in 2024, the weakness of the general industry in the United States dragged down the overall situation, while the recovery of the automotive industry was a bright spot. In 2024, its industrial robot installation volume decreased to 34,200 units, a 9% year - on - year decrease (38,000 units in 2023 and 40,000 units in 2022).

Meanwhile, the automotive industry had an industrial robot installation volume of 13,500 units, showing a significant increase compared to 12,300 units in 2023. Although it was slightly lower than 14,500 units in 2022, it has returned to the growth track, bringing certain growth impetus to its industrial robot industry.

South Korea is the world's fourth - largest industrial robot market, second only to the United States, Japan, and China. In 2024, its market performance was also not optimistic. The industrial robot installation volume was 30,600 units, a 3% year - on - year decrease. Since 2019, South Korea's annual installation volume has long been maintained at around 31,000 units, with insufficient growth momentum, and the market has stagnated.

In the European market, the installation volume of industrial robots was 85,000 units in 2024, a 8% year - on - year decrease, still the second - highest in history. 80% of the installations