Robotics market
The US overtook Japan to become the world's No. 2 robot market
38,400 industrial robots. That is what the United States installed in 2025, up 12%, and it was enough to pass Japan's 36,200 and make the US the world's second-largest robot market after China.
It was also the third-strongest year on record for US installations, behind 2018 and 2022. The growth did not come from the car industry, which stayed the largest customer at 13,500 units, down 1%. It came from food and beverage, up 30% to 2,900 units, and from what IFR describes as sectors like warehousing, logistics and medical.
The US figure has appeared as 38,000, 38,400 and almost 38,500 in IFR's own releases this year. This page traces each to its document and says which one to quote.
Data covers US industrial robot installations in 2025 (IFR World Robotics 2026, September 2026; IFR preliminary results, June 2026). Published 2026-10-06. Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Last updated 2026-10-06. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38,400 (+12%) | US installations, final count | [A] | High | The final World Robotics 2026 count from IFR's US release. This is the figure to cite. |
| 36,200 | Japan's installations, the market the US passed | [A] | High | IFR's US release rounds Japan's total to 36,200. Its global release gives the unrounded 36,219, down 19%. |
| 36,219 (-19%) | Japan's change in the same year | [C] | High | The other half of the rank swap: Japan fell while the US rose. |
| Third-strongest year | Where 2025 ranks in US history | [A] | High | A rebound, not a record. 2018 and 2022 were higher. |
| 13,500 (-1%) | Automotive installations | [A] | High | Still the largest customer industry, and slightly down. |
| 3,000 (-15%) | Metal and machinery installations | [A] | High | Second-largest customer industry, down 15%. |
| 2,900 (+30%) | Food and beverage installations | [A] | High | The fastest-growing named customer industry in the US release. |
| 38,000 (+11%) | IFR's June preliminary figure | [B] | Low | Published in June as a preliminary result and superseded by the September count. Earlier coverage still carries it. |
| almost 38,500 | US total as rounded in IFR's main release | [C] | Medium | IFR's global release rounds the US total differently. The US release gives 38,400; quote that one. |
| Mostly imported | Where US robots come from | [A] | High | IFR says most robots installed in the US still come from Japan and Europe, despite several American manufacturers emerging in recent years. |
Why the numbers disagree
Three numbers for one year, all from IFR. The June preliminary release said 38,000, up 11%. The September US release says 38,400, up 12%. IFR's global release says almost 38,500. They describe the same year at different stages of counting and rounding, and the September US release is the one to cite.
Second place says as much about Japan as about the United States. Japan's installations fell 19% in 2025 while US installations rose 12%, so the swap happened from both directions. The US total itself was still below its 2018 and 2022 levels.
The growth was not automotive. The car industry stayed the largest buyer at 13,500 units, down 1%, while food and beverage rose 30%. Anyone who equates US robot demand with car plants will misread where the increase came from.
How to cite these figures
Cite 38,400 industrial robots installed in the United States in 2025, up 12%, from IFR World Robotics 2026. Name the September release; the June figure was preliminary.
When you say the US passed Japan, give both numbers: 38,400 against 36,200. A rank alone hides how close the two markets are.
Keep installations apart from orders. A3's order counts measure a different event on a different clock and should not be set against these figures.
Where people go wrong
Quoting the June preliminary 38,000 after September. The final count is 38,400.
Calling 2025 a record US year. IFR ranks it third, behind 2018 and 2022.
Crediting the car industry with the rise. Automotive slipped 1%; food and beverage and other non-automotive sectors drove the growth.
How we checked
We read three IFR documents against each other: the June preliminary US release, the September US release, and the September global release. The US release is the most detailed and carries the figure we treat as definitive.
The June figure stays on the page, rated Low, because it is the number much earlier coverage repeats. Showing it beside the final count is more useful than deleting it.
Customer-industry figures come from the US release alone. We did not derive industry shares, because the release does not give a breakdown that sums to the total.
Full source list
Primary sources, with live links. Every figure above traces to one of these.
- [A]International Federation of Robotics (IFR)September 24, 2026
IFR, "U.S. now Second-Largest Robotics Market, Following China" (World Robotics 2026 US release)
https://ifr.org/downloads/press_docs/EN-2026-SEP-24-IFR_Press_Release_WR-USA.pdf - [B]International Federation of Robotics (IFR)June 18, 2026
IFR, "US Robot Industry Returns to Double Digit Growth" (preliminary 2025 results)
https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/us-robot-industry-returns-to-double-digit-growth - [C]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
- How many industrial robots did the US install in 2025?
- 38,400, up 12% from the previous year, according to IFR World Robotics 2026. IFR's June preliminary figure was 38,000.
- Is the US the second-largest robot market?
- By 2025 installations, yes. The US installed 38,400 robots against Japan's 36,200, placing it second behind China.
- Was 2025 a record year for US robot installations?
- No. IFR ranks it the third-strongest year on record, behind 2018 and 2022.
- Which industries drove the increase?
- Not automotive, which fell 1% to 13,500 units while staying the largest customer. Food and beverage rose 30% to 2,900 units, and IFR points to warehousing, logistics and medical as other sources of growth.
More data, traced to source
- US installed 34,200 robots in 2024, down 9%
The US installed 34,200 industrial robots in 2024, down 9% from 2023, which was 68% of the 50,100 units installed across the Americas, per IFR World Robotics 2025. The 50,100 is a regional figure, and installations are separate from A3 order counts.
- Japan's robot installations fell 19%, dropping it to third place
Japan installed 36,219 industrial robots, down 19%, and slipped from second to third in the world behind China and the United States, per IFR World Robotics 2026. IFR does not expect a major recovery soon.
- China installed 354,000 robots, almost three in five worldwide
China installed 354,000 industrial robots, up 20%, taking 59% of global installations, per IFR World Robotics 2026. Chinese suppliers kept a majority of their home market, and two sectors that had been booming collapsed.
- Americas robot installations rose 14% as Brazil surged and Mexico slid
The Americas installed 57,044 industrial robots, up 14%, per IFR World Robotics 2026. The US carried most of it, Brazil jumped 38% on car-industry demand, and Mexico fell for a third straight year.
- North American robot orders rose 6.6% to 36,766 units
North American companies ordered 36,766 robots worth $2.25 billion in the latest year, up 6.6% in units from the year before, according to A3. Collaborative robots reached nearly a fifth of the year's orders.