The number of industrial robots operating in factories reached five million in 2025, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). More than 600,000 robots were installed during the year, an 11% increase from 2024. Behind that global growth, the main markets followed different paths: China accounted for 59% of new installations, the United States overtook Japan, and installations in the European Union fell.
China installed about 354,000 industrial robots in 2025, up 20% from the previous year. Electrical and electronics manufacturers remained the largest customers, installing 96,400 units. Automotive installations rose 38% to 78,900, while the metal and machinery sector installed 78,700. Chinese suppliers accounted for 55% of robots installed in the country.
The United States became the world’s second-largest market for new industrial robots, installing 38,400 units, up 12%. It overtook Japan, where installations fell 19% to about 36,200. US automotive manufacturers remained the largest customers, although their installations declined slightly. Installations in the food and beverage industry rose 30% to 2,900 units. According to the IFR, most robots installed in the US are still imported from Japan and Europe.
EU robot fleet grows despite fall in new installations
The European Union had 712,000 industrial robots in operation at the end of 2025, compared with 390,000 a decade earlier. New installations, however, fell 11% in 2025 to 60,500 units. By comparison, installations across Asia rose 14% to 457,315, while the Americas recorded the same growth rate, reaching 57,044 units.
Germany remained the EU’s largest market, with 24,842 new installations, accounting for 41% of the bloc’s total. Its annual figure nevertheless fell 8%. The automotive sector accounted for 23% of German installations, down from 40% in 2020. German industrial robot production also declined in 2025, falling 24% to 23,710 units, while exports fell 37% to 15,096.
Italy ranked second within the EU with about 7,800 installations, followed by France with about 4,500 and Spain with about 4,300. Globally, Germany was the fifth-largest market, behind China, the United States, Japan and South Korea.
The IFR expects worldwide annual installations to reach 655,000 in 2026 and 806,000 in 2029. Its 2025 figures show that growth in the global market is unevenly distributed: new installations increased strongly in China and the US while declining in the EU.
