On September 25, 2025, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) released the 2025 World Robotics Report. Data from the report shows that in 2024, the stock of in-service industrial robots in China exceeded the 2 million-unit mark, reaching 2.027 million units—a record high—securing China’s position as the global leader. This achievement signifies a major breakthrough in China’s strategy to modernize its manufacturing bases in the field of automation, propelling the country’s industrial intelligent transformation into a new phase.
The report notes that the global stock of in-service industrial robots reached 4.664 million units in 2024, a 9% increase from 2023, reflecting the continuous rise in global demand for industrial automation. Among all countries, China’s growth in robot stock stands out remarkably: it took only three years to double its stock—surpassing 1 million units in 2021 and reaching 2 million units in 2024—with a growth rate far exceeding the global average.
Takayuki Ito, President of the IFR, commented, “China has reached a new milestone in its automation drive. Its manufacturing modernization strategy provides crucial impetus for the development of the global robotics industry.”
In terms of new installations, 542,000 industrial robots were newly installed worldwide in 2024, more than double the number from a decade ago. China accounted for half of these global installations with 295,000 new units, leading major economies by a significant margin. Japan, the United States, and South Korea followed in second to fourth place with 44,500, 34,200, and 30,600 new installations respectively. Geographically, Asia has become the core region for global robot installations, contributing 74% of the world’s total new installations, while Europe and the Americas accounted for 16% and 9% respectively—further highlighting Asia’s advantage in manufacturing automation.
All-Round Breakthroughs in Technology, Industry, and Application Scenarios
China’s leading position in the global robotics industry is not only evident in stock and new installation volumes but also reflected in all-round breakthroughs in technological innovation and industrial scale. According to data from the 2025 World Robotics Conference (held in August 2025), China’s industrial robot sales reached 302,000 units in 2024, maintaining its status as the world’s largest industrial robot market for 12 consecutive years. In the same period, China accounted for two-thirds of global robot patent applications, demonstrating its leading strength in technological innovation.
In terms of industrial scale, China has become the world’s largest robot producer. In 2024, China’s industrial robot output reached 556,000 units—a leap forward from 33,000 units in 2015. The output of service robots was even higher, hitting 10.519 million units, a year-on-year increase of 34.3%, indicating a steady enhancement in the country’s industrial supply capacity.
In core technological breakthroughs, domestic robot enterprises have continued to make strides. For example, at the 25th China International Industry Fair (opened on September 23, 2025), Estun launched its new ER1200-3300 heavy-duty industrial robot—the only domestically produced 6-axis robot with a 1,200kg load. This product promotes the localization of core components such as RV reducers and fills the gap of domestic heavy-duty robots in high-end aerospace applications.
The continuous expansion of application scenarios also provides strong support for the development of China’s robotics industry. Currently, industrial robots have penetrated 71 major categories and 236 medium categories of national economic sectors, with China’s manufacturing robot density rising to the third highest globally. Service robots, meanwhile, are accelerating their deployment in household services, warehousing and logistics, commercial services, elderly and disabled care, and medical rehabilitation, with a significant increase in penetration rate.
From palletizing robots and AGV industrial robots operating in the intelligent cold chain warehouse of the Ganzhong Modern Logistics Park in Xiajiang County, Ji’an City, Jiangxi Province, to industrial robots fulfilling orders in the production workshops of Shandong Weiqiao Textile, and to robot work scenarios in the new energy vehicle production lines of Volkswagen Anhui and NIO’s second advanced manufacturing base in Hefei, Anhui Province—robots have become a key driver of China’s manufacturing transformation and upgrading, as well as the intelligent development of the service industry.
Looking ahead, as global demand for digital and automated transformation across industries continues to grow, the industrial robot market will maintain its upward trajectory. The report predicts that global industrial robot installations will increase by 6% in 2025, reaching 575,000 units, and are expected to exceed 700,000 units by 2028. Aligned with this momentum, a key robot latest trend is the deep integration of robotics with AI and IoT technologies, enabling more flexible, collaborative, and intelligent applications across sectors. Leveraging its comprehensive advantages in market scale, technological innovation, and application scenarios, China’s robotics industry will continue to lead the global sector and contribute more Chinese strength to the world’s industrial automation process.
