The robotics open community has learned that the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) recently released the "2024 World Robotics Report." Founded in 1987, IFR is a professional non-profit organization based in Frankfurt, Germany, representing the voice of the global robotics industry. The report focuses on two main sectors: industrial robots and service robots.
According to the report, in 2023, Germany installed 28,355 industrial robots, a 7% increase, reaching a historical high. Germany is the largest industrial robot market in Europe, with a total installation of 269,427 units and an annual growth rate of about 5%. Currently, one in three robots installed in Europe comes from German companies.
China remains the largest industrial robot market in the world, with approximately 276,000 new installations, accounting for 51% of the global total. The total number of operational industrial robots worldwide surpassed 4.28 million units in 2023, reflecting a 10% year-on-year increase. Mobile robots also saw significant growth, reaching 205,000 units, a 30% increase.
Over the past three years, annual global robot growth has exceeded 500,000 units, with 2023 seeing around 540,000 new installations. Asia accounted for 70% of this growth, Europe for 17%, and the Americas for 11%. China alone represented 51%, followed by Japan, the USA, South Korea, and Germany.
In terms of robot density, the global average increased from 151 to 162 in 2023. South Korea, China, Germany, and Japan have the highest robot densities. In industry distribution, the machine equipment sector saw a 16% increase in installations, while the electronics/electrical sector dropped by 20%, and the automotive sector remained stable compared to last year.
Notably, India had the fastest growth in new installations, reaching 8,510 units, a 59% increase, marking a new high for the country. The demand in the automotive sector rose to 3,551 units, up by 139%. China has been the largest robot market for eleven consecutive years, with 1.755 million operational industrial robots in 2023, a 17% increase. The market share of domestic robots rose to 47%.
In global robot sales, 2023 saw a decline in industrial robot sales to 541,300 units, a 2.1% decrease. The robot market is expected to gradually increase in the coming years due to a declining labor force population.
In the service robot market, the report shows that in 2023, the global installation of professional service robots reached 205,000 units, a 30% increase. Medical robots accounted for 6,200 installations, growing by 36%. Consumer service robots numbered 4.1 million units, with a growth of 1%.
Looking ahead, the report forecasts that global robot installations will remain around 541,000 units in 2024, with growth accelerating in 2025 and 2026. By 2027, installations are expected to reach 601,600 units, with a compound annual growth rate of 4%.
The top five countries for service robot manufacturers are the USA, China, Germany, Japan, and France. Service robots are primarily used in transportation and logistics, hospitality, specialized cleaning, healthcare, and agriculture. In 2023, nearly 6,200 medical robots were sold, a 36% increase. Sales of service robots in transportation and logistics grew by 35%, while over 540,000 hotel robots were sold, up by 31%. In agricultural digitization, nearly 20,000 robots were sold, growing by 21%. Demand for professional cleaning robots increased by 4%, with nearly 12,000 units sold.
In terms of regional distribution, Asia has the most service robot manufacturers, followed by Europe and the Americas. Europe houses the majority of service and medical robot manufacturers, with 405 companies, representing 44%. Asia has 268 companies (29%), while the Americas have 233 companies (25%).
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