For India, the headline is a growth rate. For the world, it is a round number: by the end of 2025, five million industrial robots were working in factories globally, the first time the installed base has reached that level, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The base rose 9 percent on the year, and new installations climbed 11 percent to pass 600,000 units.
China sets the pace
Asia is where the growth is concentrated. China took 59 percent of all industrial robots installed worldwide, with about 354,000 new systems, a record. For the first time, Chinese manufacturers clearly outsold their foreign rivals in their home market.
The United States kept growing and overtook Japan as the second-largest robot market, with installations just under 38,500 units.
India climbs
India is one of the most dynamic markets on the list. Installations rose 15 percent to roughly 10,500 robots, and since 2020 they have grown by an average of 27 percent a year.
Europe looks slower by comparison. Germany remains the continent’s largest robotics market and ranks fifth globally, but installations there fell 8 percent in 2025 to fewer than 25,000 units. Italy, France and Spain also reported declines.
What analysts expect next
The IFR expects annual installations to rise above 800,000 units by 2029. It lists the main drivers as a shortage of skilled workers, the reshoring of production, more resilient supply chains, and progress in artificial intelligence, machine vision and sensors. AI-powered image processing and simpler integration are widening the range of tasks robots can do, and making automation affordable for new groups of users.
