U.S. trails China in factory robot deployment by 5 to 1 ratio
The new World Robotics report recorded 393,700 industrial robots working in US factories -- an increase of 3% year-on-year. Annual installations reached 34,200 units in 2024 -- down 9%, but 30% higher compared to ten years ago.
While the US has growth potential, China -- the world's largest market for industrial robots -- has five times more operational stock than the US.
"The United States is highly automated running the third-largest stock of industrial robots worldwide, behind only Japan and China," says Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics. "However, a comparison of the US and China reveals the enormous automation potential of the world's largest economy by GDP."
With annual installations ranging from 26,200 to 40,400 units, the United States is in line with other leading adopters, such as South Korea, Germany, and Japan. But China installed 295,000 industrial robots in 2024, which is almost nine times more than the United States.
A long-term perspective confirms the automation gap: In 2024, China had around five times more factory robots in use (2,027,200) than the US (393,700 units). This development is based on China's national robotics strategy released in December 2021, with the aim of enhancing competitiveness.
National robotics strategy
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) strongly advocates for a national robotics strategy in the United States.
Its comprehensive vision outline, released in 2025, sets out key policy recommendations for maintaining global competitiveness. This must take into account the structural differences, such as the fact that most U.S. robot hardware is imported from Japan and Europe. The situation is different in China, where 57% of the market is served by domestic manufacturers.
In addition, Chinese manufacturers are leading the way in the adoption of robotics automation in new customer industries, extending the reach of robotics beyond the traditional domains of the automotive, metal/machinery, and electro/electronics sectors.
U.S. customer industries
In the US, the automotive industry remains by far the largest customer market, accounting for 40% of total US installations in 2024: Sales rose by 11% to 13,600 units. On a global scale, the United States has the second largest production volume of cars and light vehicles, following China. The metal and machinery industry installed 3,500 units -- down 15%.
Outlook
Uncertainty and trade tensions will be a burden for the US robotics market in the short term. In the long run, reshoring production and labor scarcity will provide excellent opportunities for robotics and the overall expectation is positive. Robot installations are expected to grow in 2025 and beyond.
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