Top 5 Countries by Annual Industrial Robot Installation (2023 Data)
(Note: 2024 data is not yet fully published by IFR; 2023 is the latest complete dataset)
| Rank | Country | 2023 Installations (Units) | Global Share | Key Driver Industries |
| 1 | China | ~290,000 | ~50% of global total | Electrical/Electronics, Automotive, Metal & Machinery |
| 2 | Japan | ~50,000 | ~9% | Automotive, Electronics, General Industry |
| 3 | United States | ~44,000 | ~8% | Automotive, Metal, Plastics & Chemicals, Food |
| 4 | South Korea | ~31,000 | ~5% | Electronics (Semiconductors), Automotive |
| 5 | Germany | ~26,000 | ~4.5% | Automotive (EU hub), Metal & Machinery |
Key Trends & Context (Based on IFR 2023 Report):
- China's Dominance: Installs more robots annually than the rest of the world combined. Rapid automation is driven by labor shortages, rising wages, and strategic "Made in China 2025" policies.
- Japan & South Korea: High robot density (robots per 10,000 workers). Japan is also a top manufacturer of robots (supplier to the world).
- United States: Strong growth in non-automotive sectors like logistics, food, and pharmaceuticals.
- Germany: Leading in Europe, driven by the automotive industry’s shift to electric vehicles and the need for flexible production.
Historical Comparison (Top 5 in 2022 vs. 2023)
| Country | 2022 Installations | 2023 Installations | Change |
| China | ~290,000 | ~290,000 | Stable (very slight growth) |
| Japan | ~50,500 | ~50,000 | Slight decline |
| USA | ~39,600 | ~44,000 | +11% |
| South Korea | ~31,700 | ~31,000 | Slight decline |
| Germany | ~26,000 | ~26,000 | Stable |
Note: Global installations reached a record ~553,000 units in 2023.
Important Notes:
- Data Source: All figures are from the IFR World Robotics Report, the industry’s most authoritative source.
- Definition: "Industrial robots" are automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multipurpose manipulators used in manufacturing.
- 2024 Outlook: Growth is expected to moderate due to global economic uncertainty, but long-term automation trends remain strong.
