The new World Robotics report recorded 393,700 industrial robots working in U.S. factories, an increase of 3% year-on-year. Annual installations reached 34,200 units in 2024, down 9% but 30% higher compared to 10 years ago.
China, the world's largest market for industrial robots, has five times more operational stock than the U.S.
"The United States is highly automated running the third-largest stock of industrial robots worldwide, behind only Japan and China,' International Federation of Robotics President Takayuki Ito said. "However, a comparison of the U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S.
In 2024, China had around five times more factory robots in use (2,027,200) than the U.S. (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 U.S. 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.
The International Federation of Robotics
U.S. Customer Industries
In the U.S., the traditional customer industry automotive remains by far the largest customer market, accounting for 40% of total U.S. installations in 2024. Sales rose by 11% to 13,600 units. On a global scale, the U.S. has the second largest production volume of cars and light vehicles, following China.
The metal and machinery industry installed 3,500 units, down 15%. The U.S. electrical/electronics industry went down by 23% at 2,800 units newly installed. Robot installations in the food and beverage industry gained 21% to 2,200 units in 2024.
Canada and Mexico
In Canada, robot demand from the automotive industry went down 28% to 1,800 units, accounting for 47% of total installations in 2024. Installations across all industries declined by 12% to 3,800 units.
Canada has close ties to the U.S. economy and is thus strongly affected by U.S. tariffs. The automotive industry has cancelled many major investment projects due to policy uncertainty. Robot installations in Canada are, therefore, expected to further decline.
In Mexico, demand from the automotive industry declined by 11% to 3,500 units in 2024. This segment accounts for 63% of total installations. Installations across all industries declined by 4% to 5,600 units, continuing the downswing of the previous year.
Outlook
Uncertainty and trade tensions will be a burden for the U.S. robotics market in the short term. In the long run, reshoring production and labor scarcity could provide opportunities for robotics.
