Robot density increasing in Europe, Asia and America

"The robot density indicator relates the total number of robots used in a country to the number of employees as a measure of the respective economic performance and thus provides a good benchmark for comparison between economies of different sizes," says Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics.

Robot density by region

Western Europe recorded a 3% increase in robot density. Eight countries from this region are among the top 20 worldwide: Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Belgium & Luxembourg, France and Spain. The European Union (EU-27) has a robot density of 231 units, which is above the global average of 132 robots per 10,000 employees.

Robot density in North America increased by 4%. The United States ranks eighth worldwide with 307 robots per 10,000 employees. It is followed by Canada with 241 units and Mexico with 62 units.

Asia has an average robot density of 131 units per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry, an increase of 11%. The economies of South Korea, Singapore, Japan and Taiwan are among the ten most automated in the world.

Robot density has reached a new high worldwide. © International Federation of Robotics

Based on the updated labor market data from the State Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China, China ranks 6th in Asia and 22nd in the world, with a robot density of 166 units per 10,000 workers - an increase of 17% on the previous year.

As a large country with a considerable number of employees in the manufacturing industry, China requires an enormous operational stock of industrial robots in order to achieve a high robot density. This applies to production centers as well as rural areas. China's outstanding position in industrial robotics is clearly reflected in its operational stock - the largest in the world: the country has around 2 million units - around 4.5 times more than second-placed Japan. The annual installation figures are also impressive: 54% of all robots installed worldwide in 2024 were used in China (295,000 units).

Countries with top robot density

The Republic of Korea has the highest robot density in the world with 1,220 robots per 10,000 employees. Since 2019, the number has increased by an average of 7% per year. The Korean economy benefits from two major customers for industrial robots: a globally recognized electronics industry and a major automotive industry. Singapore follows in second place with 818 units. As a small country with a comparatively low number of employees in the manufacturing industry, Singapore can achieve a high robot density with a relatively small operational robot population. Since 2019, this figure has risen by 13% annually.

Germany ranks third worldwide with 449 units per 10,000 employees. Robot density in Europe's largest economy has risen by 5% annually since 2019. Japan ranks fourth with 446 units. The robot density of the world's leading robot manufacturer has increased by 5% annually since 2019. Sweden (377), Denmark (329), Slovenia (315), the United States (307), Taiwan (302) and Switzerland (294) complete the top 10.

These figures are taken from the World Robotics 2025 report published by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).