NEWS / SEP.2026
In 2025, China installed around 14 times as many industrial robots as Germany
China installed 354 000 new industrial robots in 2025, compared with 24 800 in Germany, according to the International Federation of Robotics report published on September 24, 2026. Installations rose by 20 % in China and fell by 8 % in Germany, which remains Europe's leading market.
In 2025, China installed around 14 times as many industrial robots as Germany
China installed 354 000 new industrial robots in 2025, compared with 24 800 in Germany. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) published these figures on September 24, 2026, in the World Robotics 2026 results.
New installations rose by 20 % year on year in China and fell by 8 % in Germany. The ratio between the two published totals, which are themselves rounded, is approximately 14.27 to 1.
This ratio compares the annual totals of new installations announced for the two markets. The total number of robots already in operation and robot density per employee measure other aspects of automation. The difference in annual volumes therefore indicates the pace at which robots are being installed, without directly measuring factory productivity.
China accounted for 59 % of new installations worldwide in 2025. The IFR reports that Chinese manufacturers supplied 195 000 robots to their domestic market, representing 55 % of installations in China. China's total thus includes robots from both local and foreign suppliers. Market volume and manufacturers' origins are two distinct pieces of information.
Germany remains Europe's leading market
Germany remains the largest European market and the fifth-largest worldwide for new industrial robot installations. It accounted for 41 % of installations in the European Union in 2025. France recorded almost 4 500 new installations, also down by 8 %.
The automotive industry is the main sector using industrial robots in Germany. A dispatch from the dpa news agency, published by Handelsblatt on September 24, 2026, reports that the IFR links weak demand in Germany's automotive industry to delayed investment. Postponed investment can delay the purchase and installation of new robots, helping to explain the decline in annual volumes.
Susanne Bieller, Secretary General of the IFR, discusses in Handelsblatt the frequent lack of expertise and financing among German SMEs. These difficulties can hamper the purchase of robots and their deployment in workshop production.