Frankfurt, September 24th, 2024 – The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has released its highly anticipated annual report, World Robotics 2024. The report recorded a record-breaking 4,281,585 industrial robots operating in factories worldwide, representing a 10% increase from the previous year. This marks the third consecutive year with annual installations exceeding half a million units.
The report also revealed that 70% of all newly deployed robots in 2023 were installed in Asia, followed by 17% in Europe and 10% in the Americas. “The new World Robotics statistics show an all-time high in the number of industrial robots automating production around the world,” says Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “The annual installation figure of 541,302 units in 2023 is the second highest in history, only 2% lower than the record set in 2022.”
The report provides a breakdown of robot installations by region, highlighting the significant growth in China as the world’s largest market. China saw 276,288 industrial robots installed in 2023, representing 51% of global installations. This is the second-highest level ever recorded and a 47% increase from the previous year. The operational stock of industrial robots in China is just shy of 1.8 million units, making it the first and only country in the world with such a large robot stock. Demand for robots is expected to accelerate in the second half of 2024, contributing to a more stable market by the end of the year. In the longer term, there is still a lot of growth potential in Chinese manufacturing, with the potential for 5-10% average annual growth until 2027.
Japan remained the second-largest global market for industrial robots, installing 46,106 units in 2023, a 9% decrease from the previous year. However, the market is expected to recover in 2025 and see medium and upper single-digit growth rates in the following years.
The report also highlights the significant growth in India, one of the fastest-growing emerging economies in Asia. Robot installations in India increased by 59% to a new high of 8,510 units in 2023, with demand from the automotive industry soaring by 139%.
In Europe, industrial robot installations rose by 9% to a new high of 92,393 units. Germany and the United Kingdom saw significant growth in robot installations, with 28,355 units and 3,830 units respectively.
The Americas saw a slight decrease in robot installations, with 55,389 units installed in 2023 – just 1% below the record level reached in 2022. The United States accounted for 68% of installations in the region, with 37,587 units installed in 2023. Canada and Mexico also saw significant growth in robot installations, with 37% and 5% increases respectively.
Looking ahead, the OECD expects global growth to stabilize, with geopolitical headwinds perceived as a major risk and uncertainty factor. The report predicts that global robot installations will level off at 541,000 units in 2024 before accelerating in 2025 and continuing in 2026 and 2027. The overall long-term growth trend is expected to continue in the future.
Orders for the World Robotics 2024 Industrial Robots and Service Robots reports can be placed online, and further downloads on the content are available on the IFR website.
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) is the voice of the global robotics industry, representing national robot associations, academia, and manufacturers of industrial and service robots from over twenty countries. The IFR Statistical Department provides data for two annual robotics studies: World Robotics – Industrial Robots and World Robotics – Service Robots.
For media inquiries, please contact Carsten Heer, Press Officer for IFR, at +49 (0) 40 822 44 284 or press@ifr.org.
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