Robotics market
German robotics and automation sales forecast to fall 5% to €14.1bn in 2026
€14.1 billion. That's what Germany's robotics and automation industry expects to sell in 2026, according to its trade association, VDMA Robotics + Automation, a fall of 5%.
It would be a second straight decline, after a 7% drop in 2025. VDMA blames weak demand from key customer industries, geopolitical uncertainty and poor economic conditions, and says competitors from Asia keep gaining market share. On the buying side, IFR counts German robot installations down 8% in 2025.
This page traces the forecast and the context to their sources.
Data covers VDMA Robotics + Automation sales forecast for 2026 and 2025 sales change (reported February 27, 2026), with IFR's 2025 German installation count. Published 2026-10-16. Last reviewed 2026-10-16. Last updated 2026-10-16. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €14.1 billion (-5%) | 2026 sales forecast, German robotics and automation | [A] | Medium | An industry forecast made in February 2026. |
| -7% | 2025 sales change | [A] | Medium | As reported in the same item. |
| Weak demand, geopolitics, economy | Reasons VDMA gives | [A] | Medium | VDMA's own explanation. |
| Asia gaining share | Competition, per VDMA | [A] | Medium | Qualitative; no share figure given. |
| fewer than 25,000 (-8%) | German robot installations, 2025 (IFR) | [B] | High | Robots installed in Germany, from any maker. A different measure from VDMA's industry sales. |
| Largest user, share in retreat | German automotive demand, per IFR | [B] | High | Context for weak customer demand. |
Why the numbers disagree
VDMA and IFR measure different sides of the market. VDMA's €14.1 billion is the sales of Germany's robotics and automation industry. IFR's count is robots installed in Germany, whoever made them. Both fell, but they aren't the same measure.
The 2026 figure is a forecast made in February 2026. The industry's actual 2026 sales won't be known until VDMA reports them.
The source is a trade-press report of VDMA's announcement. We couldn't retrieve VDMA's own release for automated checking, so we cite the report that carries its figures.
How to cite these figures
Cite it as VDMA Robotics + Automation, February 2026: German industry sales forecast to fall 5% to €14.1 billion in 2026, after a 7% decline in 2025.
Label it a forecast and give its date.
Keep VDMA's sales figures separate from IFR's installation counts when you compare Germany's robot market across sources.
Where people go wrong
Presenting €14.1 billion as 2026 sales. It's a forecast.
Treating VDMA's sales decline and IFR's installation decline as one measure.
Quoting a market share loss to Asia as a number. VDMA gives none.
How we checked
The forecast, the 2025 change and VDMA's stated reasons come from Wiley Industry News' February 27, 2026 report of VDMA Robotics + Automation's announcement. They rate Medium as a forecast reported secondhand.
The installation count and automotive caveat come from IFR's World Robotics 2026 release, issued September 24, 2026.
Full source list
Primary sources, with live links. Every figure above traces to one of these.
- [A]Wiley Industry News, reporting VDMA Robotics + AutomationFebruary 27, 2026
Wiley Industry News, "VDMA: Robotics and automation industry faces challenges"
https://wileyindustrynews.com/en/news/vdma-robotics-and-automation-industry-faces-challenges - [B]International Federation of Robotics (IFR)September 24, 2026
IFR, "Five Million Robots now Operate in Factories Globally" (World Robotics 2026 Industrial Robots release)
https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/five-million-robots-now-operate-in-factories-globally
Common questions
- What is the outlook for German robotics sales in 2026?
- VDMA Robotics + Automation expects sales to fall 5% to €14.1 billion in 2026, after a 7% decline in 2025.
- Why is the German robotics industry shrinking?
- VDMA cites weak demand from key customer industries, geopolitical uncertainty and unfavorable economic conditions, and says competitors from Asia are gaining market share.
- How many robots did Germany install in 2025?
- Fewer than 25,000, down 8%, according to IFR's World Robotics 2026. That counts robots installed in Germany from any maker.
- Is this forecast final?
- No. It's VDMA's February 2026 forecast; actual 2026 sales will be reported later.
More data, traced to source
- Germany installed 24,800 robots in 2025, down 8% but 41% of the EU
IFR's World Robotics 2026 counts 24,800 industrial robots installed in Germany in 2025, down 8%, still 41% of the EU total. Automotive drove 23% of German demand and metal 21%, and IFR says the carmakers' share is shrinking.
- Germany installed 26,982 robots in 2024, still Europe's largest
Germany installed 26,982 industrial robots in 2024, down 5%, and stayed the largest robot market in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world, per the IFR World Robotics yearbook. The ranking held even as the raw count slipped.
- EU robot installations fell 11% as the bloc's robot stock passed 700,000
EU-27 factories installed 60,500 industrial robots, down 11%, even as the EU's operational stock passed 700,000, per IFR World Robotics 2026. Germany installed 24,800 of them, 41% of the EU total.
- Italy 7,800, France 4,500, Spain 4,300: EU robot installs fell in 2025
After Germany, the EU's next three robot markets all shrank in 2025, per IFR's World Robotics 2026: Italy installed 7,800 (down 11%), France almost 4,500 (down 8%) and Spain about 4,300 (down 15%).