China accelerates robot deployment: production of industrial machines increased by 31 % in one year

Chinese robotics – a strategic priority

*Industry development*

The robotics industry is considered one of the key sectors of China’s economy and receives support under state programs. Coupled with high demand for robots, this has led to significant growth in industrial machine production.

Industrial robots

In the first two months of this year, production volume increased by 31 % compared with the same period last year. Overall, in 2024 more than 770 thousand units were produced, already 28 % higher than 2023 figures.

Service robots

*Quantity*

During January‑February 2025, China produced 2.54 million service robots. In the same period, growth compared to the previous year was only 1 %, due to both a slowdown in market growth and a change in counting methodology (since 2024 the number of companies reporting production data has increased).

Sales market

*China remains the largest consumer*

In 2024 China purchased 54 % of all industrial robots produced worldwide. The country installed 295,000 such machines – almost seven times more than Japan (44,500) and nearly nine times more than the United States (34,200).

*Humanoid robots in production*

Price reductions and software improvements make these robots more versatile. They are easier to train for factory shop floor work than for domestic settings, so their deployment in homes will come later.

Chinese automotive manufacturers

- Xiaomi demonstrated that humanoid robots can participate in assembly line operations for three consecutive hours without human intervention. In the next five years, the company plans to mass‑deploy its own robots in its factories.
- UBTech Robotics partnered with German Siemens Industrial Software to accelerate the development of its humanoid machines. By 2026, UBTech aims to produce 100,000 such robots annually.

Thus, the growth in production and sales of industrial and service robots in China continues to strengthen the country’s position as a global leader in robotics, while interest in deploying humanoid machines on production lines increases.