China only made it into the top 10 in 2019. In four years, China has managed to double the density of robots.
According to the World Robotics 2024 report published by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), robot adoption in factories around the world continues to grow at a high rate: the global average robot density reached a record 162 robots per 10,000 employees in 2023, more than double the 74 seven years ago.
This translates to an overall growth rate of 118% and an average annual growth rate of 11.8% – the adoption of robots on the factory floor, while strong, is not yet explosive.
Robot density by region
The density of robots in the EU was 219 per 10,000 employees, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%, and Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia ranked among the top 10 in the world.
The robot density in North America was 197 robots per 10,000 employees, an increase of 4.2%. The U.S. ranks 10th among the countries with the highest level of automation in manufacturing.
Asia’s manufacturing sector has 182 robots per 10,000 employees, a 7.6% increase. South Korea, Singapore, Chinese mainland and Japan are among the top 10 countries with the highest degree of automation.
Top countries
South Korea is the world’s largest adopter of industrial robots, with 1,012 robots per 10,000 employees. Since 2018, robot density has increased by an average of 5% per year. South Korea has a world-renowned electronics industry and a strong automotive industry, and its economy relies on two of its largest customers for industrial robots.
Singapore is a close second, with 770 robots per 10,000 employees. Singapore is a small country with a very small number of manufacturing employees, so it can achieve a high density of robots even with relatively small operational inventory.
China overtook Germany and Japan in third place in 2023. China is heavily promoting automation technology, with a robot density of up to 470 robots per 10,000 employees (2022: 402). China only made it into the top 10 in 2019. In four years, China has managed to double the density of robots.
Germany ranks fourth, with 429 robots per 10,000 employees. Since 2018, robot density in Europe’s largest economy has grown at a CAGR of 5%.
Japan is in fifth place with 419 robots. The density of robots in the world’s major robot manufacturing countries is growing by an average of 7% per year (2018-2023).
In 2023, the density of robots in the United States will reach 295, ranking tenth in the world.
The number of factory robots worldwide has reached 4 million
The new World Robotics report documents 4,281,585 robots operating in factories worldwide, a 10% increase. For the third year in a row, annual installations exceeded 500,000 units. By region, 70% of all newly deployed robots in 2023 will be installed in Asia, 17% in Europe, and 10% in the Americas.
From the perspective of installs:
China is by far the largest market in the world. The number of industrial robots installed in 2023 is 276,288, accounting for 51% of the global installation. This result is the second-highest level ever (2022: 290,144 units). Since 2022, the share of Chinese manufacturers in the domestic market has grown significantly, reaching 47% in 2023. Over the past decade, this percentage has fluctuated around 28%. In 2023, the operating inventory is just below the 1.8 million mark, making China the first and only country in the world to have such a large inventory of robots. Robot demand is expected to accelerate in the second half of 2024, with the market more stable by the end of the year. In the long run, China’s manufacturing sector still has a lot of growth potential, with an average annual growth rate of 5-10% by 2027.
Japan remains the world’s second-largest market for industrial robots, after China. In 2023, robot installations reached 46,106 units, a decrease of 9%. This was followed by a strong performance in the previous two years, peaking at 50,435 units in 2022, second only to 2018 (55,240 units). Demand for robotics is expected to remain stagnant in 2024, but will return to mid- to high-single-digit growth rates in 2025 and subsequent years.
The South Korean market is trending sideways: installations in 2023 reached 31,444 units, down 1% year-on-year. The country is the world’s fourth-largest robotics market in terms of annual installations, behind the United States, Japan, and China.
India is one of the fastest-growing emerging economies in Asia. In 2023, robot installations increased by 59% to a record high of 8,510 units. Demand from the automotive industry soared to 3,551 units, an increase of 139%. Both car manufacturers and suppliers have contributed to this development.
