Beijing (GNP): China installed a record 354,000 industrial robots in 2025, more than any other country and 59 per cent of all units installed worldwide. The figures come from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and show how far Beijing has advanced its plan to modernise manufacturing through automation and artificial intelligence (AI).
The result confirms China as the world’s largest market for industrial robots. It also reflects a policy direction that places robotics and AI at the centre of industrial development. That approach now sits within the 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026 to 2030, which names robotics and physical AI as key engines of future economic growth.
The plan builds on earlier groundwork. IFR President Jane Heffner said China’s progress in modernising its industrial system rests on a national robotics strategy launched a decade ago. She added that the current policy direction aims to steer AI research towards practical industrial uses, with robots expected to become a growing driver of economic growth.
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The sector breakdown shows where that strategy is producing results. Electronics manufacturers remained the largest users, installing 96,400 robots in 2025. That was 16 per cent more than the previous year and 27 per cent of China’s total installations.
The automotive industry grew fastest among the major sectors. Robot installations there rose 38 per cent to 78,900 units, a rise linked to continued investment in electric vehicle manufacturing and smart-factory technologies.
Taken together, the numbers point to automation becoming more deeply embedded in Chinese production, as the country works to strengthen its advanced manufacturing capacity and bring AI into industrial processes. Heffner said China’s progress in modernising its industrial system was built on the national robotics strategy launched a decade ago.
