Global Robot Density in Factories Doubled in Seven Years

Robot density serves as a barometer to track the degree of automation adoption in the manufacturing industry around the world," says Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “This year's runner-up is China, which ranks third worldwide behind Korea and Singapore, but right up with Germany and Japan."

Robot density by region

• The European Union has a robot density of 219 units per 10,000 employees, an increase of 5.2 %, with Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia in the global top ten.
• North America´s robot density is 197 units per 10,000 employees – up 4,2 %. The United States ranks eleventh in the world among the most automated countries in the manufacturing industry.
• Asia has a robot density of 182 units per 10,000 persons employed in manufacturing – an increase of 7.6 %. The economies of Korea, Singapore, mainland China and Japan are among the top ten most automated countries.

Top countries

• The Republic of Korea is the world´s number one adopter of industrial robots with 1,012 robots per 10,000 employees. Robot density has increased by 5 % on average each year since 2018. With a world-renowned electronics industry and a strong automotive industry, the Korean economy relies on the two largest customers for industrial robots.
• Singapore follows with 770 robots per 10,000 employees. Singapore is a small country with a very low number of employees in the manufacturing industry, so it can reach a high Robot density also with a relatively small operational stock.
• China took third place in 2023, surpassing Germany and Japan. The country's push to the use of automation technology results in a high robot density of 470 robots per 10,000 employees (2022: 402 units). China only entered the top 10 in 2019. It has managed to double its robot density within four years.
• Germany ranks fourth with 429 robots per 10,000 employees. The robot density of Europe´s largest economy has grown by 5 % CAGR since 2018.
• Japan is in fifth place with 419 units. Robot density of the world´s predominant robot manufacturing country grew by 7% on average each year (2018-2023).
• Robot density in the United States reached 295 units in 2023. The country ranks eleventh in the world.

(Source: International Federation of Robotics Press Release)