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IFR World Robotics 2026: industrial and service robot figures for 2025
By Robot Distribution editorial teamPublished 5 min read
IN BRIEF
According to the IFR's World Robotics 2026 report, published in September 2026, about 600,000 industrial robots were installed worldwide in 2025 and 5 million are in operation. The EU installed 60,500 (down 11%), France about 4,500 (down 8%). Sales of professional service robots rose 24% to almost 250,000 units.
World: 5 million industrial robots in operation
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) presented its World Robotics 2026 report in Frankfurt on 24 September 2026. The figures describe the year 2025. According to the IFR, the operational stock of industrial robots rose by 9% to a record 5 million units, and annual installations rose by 11% to more than 600,000 units.
| Market | Installations in 2025 | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| China | 354,000 | +20% |
| United States | almost 38,500 | +12% |
| Japan | 36,219 | −19% |
| South Korea | about 30,000 | −1% |
| Germany | fewer than 25,000 | −8% |
| India | almost 10,500 | +15% |
China accounted for about 59% of the world's installations in 2025, according to the IFR. Growth was strongest in Asia, followed by the Americas, while Europe moved more slowly.
European Union and France: installations down in 2025
According to the IFR's European Union release, published in September 2026, installations of industrial robots in the EU fell by 11% to 60,500 units in 2025. The operational stock in the EU reached a record 712,000 units.
| Country | Installations in 2025 | Share of EU installations | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 24,800 | 41% | −8% |
| Italy | 7,800 | 13% | −11% |
| France | about 4,500 | 7% | −8% |
| Spain | 4,300 | 7% | −15% |
France is the third market in Europe for industrial robot installations, behind Germany and Italy, according to the IFR. The IFR release cites the OECD, which expects the macroeconomic situation in the EU to remain weak until 2027.
Professional service robots: sales up 24%
Professional service robots are robots used outside the factory for commercial tasks, such as transport, cleaning or guidance. According to the IFR, on 30 September 2026, global sales rose by 24% to almost 250,000 units in 2025.
- Transport and logistics remains the first application, with 117,500 units sold in 2025 (up 21%), or 47% of the market.
- Hospitality robots rank second, mostly for mobile guidance, information points and telepresence.
- Professional cleaning robots rank third, with floor cleaning as the main application.
- Medical robots grew by 19%; surgical robots, with 8,400 units sold (up 57%), are the main driver.
- About 7,000 full-size humanoids (above 140 cm) were sold worldwide in 2025.
Sales of consumer service robots, a separate segment, rose by 37% to almost 34.2 million units, according to the same release.
Robots-as-a-service keeps growing
Robots-as-a-service (RaaS) means paying for a robot by subscription or by use rather than buying it. The IFR notes that traditional sales remained the main channel in 2025, but that RaaS business models continued to grow in popularity.
In the United States, RaaS is already the dominant business model for professional service robots, according to the IFR release of 30 September 2026.
Outlook to 2029
The IFR forecasts that global industrial robot installations will rise by 9% to 655,000 units in 2026 and reach 806,000 units in 2029.
The drivers it lists are supply-chain resilience, the relocation of manufacturing to high-wage economies, labour shortages, demographic change, and progress in AI, machine vision, sensing and easier programming.
What it means for buyers in France
- Industrial robots: France installed about 4,500 units in 2025. Projects continue despite a slower market, and they still need a risk assessment and a compliant installation.
- Service robots: the three largest applications worldwide, logistics, hospitality and cleaning, are those where robots are already deployed in French hotels, warehouses and buildings.
- Financing: RaaS is growing, so it is worth comparing purchase, rental and RaaS over the same period before choosing.
- Regulation: from 20 January 2027, robots placed on the EU market must comply with the Machinery Regulation (see our guide).
To compare robots for your sector, see the solutions by sector or send a quote request.
Sources
- Five Million Robots now Operate in Factories Globally (24 September 2026) · International Federation of Robotics (IFR) · accessed
- European Union's Industrial Robot Stock Hits Record 700,000 Units (September 2026) · International Federation of Robotics (IFR) · accessed
- Global Sales of Professional Service Robots Surge 24% (30 September 2026) · International Federation of Robotics (IFR) · accessed
