INFOGRAPHIC
Humans Share the Factory Floor with Four Million Robots
Robots are at work in factories at record levels, with China installing more than half the worldwide total in 2023 and Japan leading global production.
Currently, there are 4,281,585 robots working in factories around the globe. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), this 2023 number represented a 10 percent increase from the previous year. The number is an all-time high when looking at the number of industrial robots automating production around the world.
For three years in a row—from 2021 to 2023—annual installations exceeded half a million units globally, IFR reported. By region, 70 percent of all newly deployed robots in 2023 were installed in Asia, 17 percent in Europe, and 10 percent in the Americas. The largest demand came from the automotive industry with over 135,000 installations worldwide.
By far the greatest application worldwide is handling, with annual installations reaching 280,000 units in 2023, followed by 92,000 units devoted to welding. Both applications required 5 percent more installations over those installed in 2022.
INSTALLATIONS OF INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS BY COUNTRY AND INDUSTRY 2023
CHINA
For every two robots installed worldwide in 2023, China installed one—276,288 units. Overall, 47 percent of these robots were made domestically. China produces 54 percent of robots for its electrical/electronics industry and 22 percent for its automotive industry. And for the metal/machinery robot industry, the Chinese market share is 85 percent.
UNITED STATES
When compared to the year prior, installation of industrial robots went down by 5 percent to 37,587 units in 2023. It is in the third position in the top markets, behind both Japan and China. The U.S. automotive industry is the largest customer market, accounting for 33 percent of total U.S. installations in 2023.
JAPAN
Compared to the previous year, industrial robot installations declined by 9 percent to 46,106 units in 2023. In second position among the top five markets, Japan is behind only China. As a world-leading robot manufacturing country, Japan accounts for 38 percent of global robot production. Japanese exports reached 160,801 units in 2023.
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