Globo-Robo advances though Chinese dominance commands 54% market share

Industrial robot installations worldwide doubled over the past decade, reaching 542,000 units in 2024 according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), a global trade association that tracks automation trends. This surge reflects industries’ accelerating shift toward digitization and automation, with China leading the charge by capturing 54% of global installations while European markets show concerning declines.

The big picture: Asia dominates the global robotics landscape, accounting for 74% of new deployments compared to just 16% in Europe and 9% in the Americas.

China’s commanding lead: The country installed 295,000 robotic units in 2024, representing more than half of global installations.
• China’s robot installations are forecast to grow around 10% annually through 2028, driven by its national robotics strategy released in December 2021.
• “China has succeeded in upgrading its manufacturing industry at an unprecedented pace,” IFR spokesperson Carsten Heer told AI Business. “Based on its national robotics strategy, released in December 2021, the country has set an example of how to strengthen competitiveness systematically.”

Other Asian markets: Japan maintained its position as the world’s second-largest market with 44,500 units, while South Korea installed 30,600 units.
• India posted a record 9,100 new installations, driven largely by automotive demand.

Europe’s troubling decline: The continent saw installations fall 8%, with several major markets contracting sharply.
• Germany remains Europe’s leader with 26,982 units, but Italy and France fell 16% and 24%, respectively.
• The U.K. experienced the steepest decline, with installations plummeting 35% to just 2,500 units.
• The Americas also declined 10% to 50,100 units.

Future outlook: Despite geopolitical tensions and trade disruptions, the IFR forecasts installations will rise 6% in 2025 to 575,000 units, surpassing 700,000 units by 2028.

What’s driving demand: Takayuki Ito, president of the International Federation of Robotics, said the upswing has been driven by industries’ shift to digitization and automation.
• “Statistics show 2024 [is] the second highest annual installation count of industrial robots in history—only 2% lower than the all-time-high two years ago,” he said.
• “Future demand will be driven by technological innovations such as diverse AI solutions in robotics, as well as by market forces and new business sectors,” Heer said.

Labor shortage factor: Global workforce shortages are creating additional demand for robotic solutions.
• “Although the impact varies from country to country, the cumulative effect on the supply chain is a concern almost everywhere,” Heer said.
• “Technological innovations in robotics such as ease of use, collaborative robots or mobile manipulators help to fill gaps when and where needed.”