Global industrial robot stock crosses 5 million mark

The International Federation of Robotics announced on Tuesday that global inventories of operational industrial robots surpassed 5 million units last year, marking a 9% annual increase as artificial intelligence integration and supply chain restructuring accelerated automation adoption across manufacturing sectors. Worldwide installations jumped 11% to more than 600,000 units, with the federation projecting continued growth to 655,000 units this year and 806,000 by 2029 as labor shortages and reshoring initiatives drive demand.

China extends lead over Western markets

China maintained its overwhelming dominance by expanding annual installations 20% to 354,000 units, capturing nearly six in ten deployments worldwide while domestic firms secured 55% of the national market share. The United States overtook Japan for second place with installations surging 12% to 38,500 units, as Japanese deployment fell 19% to 36,219 units, according to the federation's latest statistics. South Korea retained its fourth position with 30,200 annual installations, while Germany slipped to fifth place following an 8% decline to 24,800 units despite accounting for 41% of all European Union deployments, and India posted a 15% surge to 10,500 units.

Türkiye's metal sector leads domestic demand

Türkiye ranked 17th globally for new robot installations last year with 3,194 units deployed, representing a 9% decrease from the record 4,429 units installed in 2023, though the nation's operational stock climbed 7% to an all-time high of 30,990 units for 15th place worldwide. The Turkish metal industry led sectoral demand with 990 new robots capturing 31% of the domestic market, while automotive applications added 889 units for a 3% annual increase, contrasting sharply with a 37% plunge in electrical and electronics installations and a 40% collapse in food and beverage automation. Some 59% of all new robots worldwide were deployed for handling operations and machine tending, with 16% dedicated to welding and soldering, while robot density in Türkiye's manufacturing industry reached 52 units per 10,000 workers compared with 374 units in the automotive sector.