US Robot Industry Returns to Double Digit Growth – IFR Reports

• Preliminary results published by International Federation of Robotics

FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The number of industrial robot installations in the United States rose by 11% year-on-year, to reach 38,000 units in 2025. This significant recovery is driven by robust growth in the food industry and other non-manufacturing sectors. However, the automotive industry remains the largest adopter and reached 13,500 units, just 1% below last year's result. These are preliminary statistics, presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

“The United States are back on the growth track,” says Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “While automotive achieved its third-best result in seven years, the data highlights a growing demand for flexible automation in the food industry: Adoption in this sector surged by 30%, now ranking alongside metal and machinery and electrical-electronics, all with approximately 3,000 installations in 2025.”

Robot density

The degree of automation in the US, as measured by robot density, stands at 307 industrial robots in use for every 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry. This places the US in 8th position worldwide (two ranks up from the previous year) behind top automated countries such as South Korea (1,220 robots), Germany (449 robots) and Japan (446 robots), but ahead of China (166 robots).

United States vs. China

However, China far outperforms the rest of the world in terms of market size: Annual installations in China reached 295,000 units in 2024. This represents a global market share of 54%. Preliminary results for China 2025 are not published yet, but according to IFR´s estimates, installations are about ten times higher than the number in the United States.

FULL TEXT press release at: https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/

At the Automate Show 2026 in Chicago, IFR Vice President Jane Heffner will present the preliminary figures on industrial robot installations for the North American market on Wednesday, 24 June at 10:30 AM (Automate Show Theatre).

About IFR

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) is the voice of the global robotics industry. Founded in 1987, the non-profit body represents more than 3,000 organizations. Its membership base includes manufacturers of industrial and service robots, national robotics associations, universities, and start-ups from over 30 countries. Further information can be found at: www.ifr.org

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