Our analysts reviewed the International Federation of Robotics' World Robotics 2025 tables, which count every industrial robot installed worldwide in 2024, to show where industrial robots were installed in 2024, which industries bought them, and how the total compares with the two years before.1
Key Findings
- Factories installed 542,076 industrial robots worldwide in 2024, at the time the second-highest annual count on record.
- China installed 295,045 robots in 2024, 54% of the world total.
- The United States installed 34,164 robots in 2024, down 9% from 2023.
- Electronics makers bought 24% of new robots in 2024, edging past the auto industry at 23%.
An industrial robot is a programmable arm or machine that welds, paints, assembles, or moves parts on a factory line. Car plants were the biggest buyers for decades. But that has started to change.
We used the federation's World Robotics 2025 executive summary and its September 25, 2025 press release, and compared installations by country, by customer industry, and by year.
In the following sections, we compare the five largest markets, the industries buying robots, and the trend since 2022.
Where Industrial Robots Were Installed in 2024
Where robots go shows which countries are automating their factories fastest, which matters to anyone selling robots or competing with those factories.
| Country | Robots installed | Share of world total |
|---|---|---|
| China | 295,045 | 54% |
| Japan | 44,453 | 8% |
| United States | 34,164 | 6% |
| South Korea | 30,596 | 6% |
| Germany | 26,982 | 5% |
Source: International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2025 executive summary
Source: International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2025. Chart: Robotics Reviewed.
Key Findings
- China installed more than six times as many robots as Japan, the second-largest market in 2024.
- The five largest markets took 431,240 robots together, 80% of all installations.
Which Industries Bought Industrial Robots in 2024
The industries buying robots say which kinds of factory work are being automated, and the order changed in 2024.
| Customer industry | Share |
|---|---|
| Electronics | 24% |
| Automotive | 23% |
| Metal and machinery | 16% |
| Plastic and chemical products | 5% |
| Food and beverage | 4% |
| All other industries | 14% |
| Industry not reported | 14% |
Source: International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2025 executive summary
- Electronics24%
- Automotive23%
- Metal and machinery16%
- All other industries23%
- Industry not reported14%
All other industries includes plastic and chemical products (5%) and food and beverage (4%).
Source: International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2025. Chart: Robotics Reviewed.
Key Findings
- Electronics gained one point of share in 2024 while automotive lost two, so electronics makers became the largest buyer group, with 128,899 robots against 126,088 for the auto industry.
- For 14% of installations the federation had no information on the customer industry, so each industry's true share may be higher.
How Annual Robot Installations Changed From 2022 to 2024
A single year can mislead, so we set 2024 next to the two years before it.
| Year | Robots installed | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 552,946 | Record high |
| 2023 | 541,302 | Down 2% |
| 2024 | 542,076 | Up 0.1%, level with 2023 |
Source: International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2025 executive summary
What Industrial Robot Installation Data Means
The 2024 figures show a market that had stopped growing in units but was changing underneath. Annual installations had held above 500,000 robots for four straight years, and China alone took more than half of them. Demand from carmakers fell while electronics makers and metal and machinery producers bought more.
The United States stayed the third-largest market in 2024 but installed fewer robots than the year before, and it imports most of its robots from Japan and Europe, according to the federation. For buyers and suppliers, that makes the American market more dependent on system integrators than on domestic robot makers.
The plateau did not last. The federation's World Robotics 2026 report, released September 24, 2026, counted 603,307 installations in 2025, an 11% rise and a new record. So if you are planning around these 2024 figures, treat them as the baseline before the 2025 jump, and check the newer report for current market sizes.
Sources
- Robotics Reviewed analysis of IFR World Robotics 2025 installation figures, October 2026
- International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2025: Industrial Robots, executive summary
- International Federation of Robotics, “Global Robot Demand in Factories Doubles Over 10 Years,” September 25, 2025
- International Federation of Robotics, “Five Million Robots now Operate in Factories Globally,” September 24, 2026
- International Federation of Robotics, World Robotics 2026: Industrial Robots, executive summary