China accounted for more than half of global industrial robot installations in 2024, with a record 295,000 units deployed nationwide, according to the IFR World Robotics 2025 Report.

The figure represents 54% of global deployments, making China the world’s largest robotics market by a significant margin.

The country’s operational stock of industrial robots surpassed 2mn units last year — the highest in the world — as automation continues to expand across key sectors such as electronics, automotive manufacturing and logistics.

For the first time, Chinese robot manufacturers sold more units domestically than foreign suppliers, with their market share rising to 57% in 2024, up from about 28% over the past decade. “Last year, nearly three-fifths of the robots installed in China were also made in the country,” said the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

The report highlights a key turning point in China’s push to localise its robotics supply chain. While companies such as ABB, Fanuc and KUKA have long operated in China, they are now facing increasing competition from domestic manufacturers that benefit from government incentives, economies of scale and rising technical expertise.

“China has five times as many robots working in its factories as the United States,” wrote Steve Hsu, a technology commentator and AI start up founder on September 26. He added, “57% of industrial robots in China produced locally.”

Although the report reflects 2024 data and is considered a lagging indicator, it underscores the growing automation gap between China and other industrial economies. China’s rapid expansion in robot installations is seen as a strategic pillar of its industrial modernisation agenda, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign technology and counter labour force challenges linked to demographic decline.

“Robots making robots,” Hsu observed.