Robotics market
Chinese robot makers took 57% of their home market in 2024
For the first time, Chinese robot makers sold more in China than foreign suppliers did. Domestic market share hit 57% in 2024, up from about 28% over the past decade.
China is also the biggest market by far: 295,000 robots installed in 2024, about 54% of all robots deployed worldwide. Its operational stock passed 2 million units.
This page traces the domestic-share shift and the surrounding China numbers to the IFR.
Data covers China robot market shares, installs, and stock, 2024 (World Robotics 2025). Published 2026-07-22. Last reviewed 2026-07-22. Last updated 2026-07-22. Edited by Mike Ramsey / Reliable Media.
The figures and where they come from
Each figure is rated for how safely you can cite it today. Ratings judge current usability, not whether a number was ever correct.
| Figure | What it is | Source | Citation Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57% | Domestic makers' share of China's market (2024) | [A] | High | First year Chinese suppliers outsold foreign ones in their home country. |
| about 28% | Domestic makers' share, a decade ago | [A] | Medium | The IFR gives 'about 28% over the past decade' as the baseline, so treat it as approximate. |
| 295,000 units | Robots installed in China (2024) | [A] | High | Highest annual total on record for China. The executive summary's exact figure is 295,045. |
| 54% | China's share of global installs (2024) | [A] | High | More than half of all robots deployed worldwide in 2024 went to China. |
| over 2 million units | China's operational stock (2024) | [A] | High | China's running robot stock passed the 2 million mark in 2024, the largest of any country. |
Why the numbers disagree
Two different shares get confused. One is China's cut of the global market, 54% of robots installed worldwide. The other is domestic makers' cut of China's own market, 57%. They're close numbers about very different things.
The 57% is a first, so older sources will say foreign suppliers led. A decade ago domestic makers held about 28%, and the crossover to a majority happened in 2024, so anything predating that reads the market backwards.
China's scale amplifies all of it. With 295,000 installs and a stock over 2 million, a shift in who supplies China moves the whole industry, not just one country.
How to cite these figures
State the milestone: Chinese makers took 57% of their home market in 2024, the first year they outsold foreign suppliers there.
Give the baseline for context: up from about 28% a decade earlier.
Keep the two shares separate. China is 54% of the global market; domestic makers are 57% of the Chinese market.
Where people go wrong
Saying foreign brands still lead in China. As of 2024 domestic makers hold the majority at 57%.
Mixing up 54% and 57%. One is China's share of world installs; the other is domestic makers' share of China.
Ignoring the trend. The 57% is up from about 28% a decade ago, so the direction matters as much as the level.
How we checked
All figures come from the IFR World Robotics 2025 industrial press release. We confirmed the 57% domestic share, the about 28% baseline, the 295,000 installs, the 54% global share, and the 2 million stock mark in that release.
The press rounds installs to 295,000; the executive summary gives 295,045. We cite the round press figure and note the exact one.
We keep the domestic share and the global share as separate figures so the two similar percentages aren't blended.
Full source list
Primary sources, with live links. Every figure above traces to one of these.
- [A]International Federation of Robotics (IFR)September 25, 2025
IFR, "Global Robot Demand in Factories Doubles Over 10 Years" (World Robotics 2025 industrial press release)
https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/global-robot-demand-in-factories-doubles-over-10-years
Common questions
- Do Chinese companies make most of China's robots now?
- As of 2024, yes. Domestic makers took 57% of China's market, the first year they outsold foreign suppliers there, per the IFR.
- What was their share before?
- About 28% over the past decade, per the IFR. The jump to 57% in 2024 is the first domestic majority.
- Is 57% the same as China's global share?
- No. 57% is domestic makers' share of China's market. China's share of robots installed worldwide is 54%. Two different measures.
- How big is China's robot market?
- 295,000 robots installed in 2024, about 54% of the world total, with an operational stock over 2 million units.
More data, traced to source
- China builds most of the world's robots: 556,000 made in 2024
China produced 556,000 industrial robots in 2024, up 14.2%, and installed 295,000 of the world's new ones. The country both makes and buys more robots than anywhere else, traced to the source figures.
- Where the world's new robots go: by region and by industry
Asia takes 74% of the world's new robot installations, Europe 16%, the Americas 9%. Within the US, automotive leads at 13,700 of 34,300 units. Where robots actually go, traced to source.
- Robot installations did not set a record last year: they peaked in 2022
Coverage calls each year's robot installations a record. They are not. Installations peaked in 2022 at 552,946 units, and both 2023 and 2024 came in below that, with the next record forecast for 2028.