Warehouse
The International Federation of Robotics reported that more than five million industrial robots were operating in factories worldwide, with more than 600,000 installed during 2025.
A dated step forward on the record
What the source says
“More than five million industrial robots are now operating in factories worldwide, according to the International Federation of Robotics’ newly released World Robotics 2026 report”
What it means
Industrial robot arms, from FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa, and others, is at stage 5 of 5 on our ladder: regulator-cleared or mass market. Its stage is set by other milestones on its record; this one adds to the history.
Human help: Our sources report it working without human help.
More on Industrial robot arms
- A3, a US automation trade group, said North American companies ordered 10,989 robots worth $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, up 24.8% in units from a year earlier.
- Factories around the world installed more than 600,000 new industrial robots in 2025, up 11% on the year before.
- In China, Chinese robot makers sold more robots than foreign makers did.
- Japan installed 36,219 industrial robots in 2025, down 19%, and fell to third place behind China and the US.
- The number of industrial robots at work worldwide rose 9% to a record 5 million.
- US factories installed 38,000 industrial robots in 2025, up 11%. Car makers were the biggest buyers, with 13,500.