U.S. Now Second-Largest Robotics Market, Following China
World Robotics 2026 Report by International Federation of Robotics released
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The United States installed 38,400 industrial robots in 2025, marking a 12% year-on-year increase. This surpassed Japan’s installation figure of 36,200, making the US the second-largest market for industrial robots in the world after China.
“US robot demand has rebounded very strongly: 2025 ranked as the third strongest year on record behind 2018 and 2022,” says Jane Heffner, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “Growth came from the food industry and sectors like warehousing, logistics or medical. At the same time automotive has stayed stable as the largest customer.”
Customer Industries
The United States is the world’s second largest producer of cars and light commercial vehicles, following China. Demand from the automotive industry makes this sector the country´s largest customer, with 13,500 industrial robot installations in 2025, a 1% decrease on the previous year. The metal and machinery industry ranked second, with 3,000 installations, a decrease of 15%. Robot installations in the food and beverage industry rose 30% to 2,900 units in 2025.
International robot markets
As the world´s second largest market for industrial robots, the US ranks ahead of Japan, the Republic of Korea and Germany. All these countries range in a corridor between 25,000 and 38,000 annual installations in 2025. The number one, China, in contrast, installed 354,200 units, which is 59% of the global demand in 2025.
US domestic and foreign suppliers
The US market has numerous domestic robot system integrators that can implement robotic automation solutions. Several American robot manufacturers have also emerged in recent years. However, the majority of robots in the United States are still imported from Japan and Europe.
Outlook
The overall expectation for the US robotics market is positive. Uncertainty and trade tensions will be a burden in the short term, but reshoring policy and labor scarcity will provide excellent opportunities for robotics in the long run. Robot installations are expected to continue to grow in 2026 and beyond.
FULL TEXT press releases and graphics at: https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/
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. www.ifr.org
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