China’s industrial robot output surpasses full-year 2024
- ByStartupStory | November 4, 2025
China’s Industrial Robot Output Surpasses Full-Year 2024 Levels Amid Automation Surge
China’s industrial robotics sector has displayed remarkable momentum in 2025, with production already exceeding full-year 2024 totals in the first nine months alone. According to the latest official data reported by the South China Morning Post and corroborated by industry sources, Chinese manufacturers supplied approximately 595,000 industrial robotic arms within the first three quarters of 2025, surpassing last year’s total output.
This growth aligns with China’s ambitious push for automation across key manufacturing sectors including automotive, electronics, and new-energy products, driven by downstream demand and government initiatives such as “Made in China 2025.” The first half of 2025 saw a 35.6% year-on-year increase in robot production, signaling robust expansion.
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) highlights that China operates more industrial robots than the rest of the world combined, with in-use stock surpassing 2 million units in 2024. China accounted for over half of new global installations in 2024, deploying 295,000 out of 542,000 new robots worldwide, solidifying its position as the world’s largest single market for the 12th consecutive year.
Global leaders such as Japan’s Fanuc and Yaskawa, Switzerland-Sweden’s ABB, and Germany’s Kuka maintain a strong footprint in China with localized production and R&D facilities, while rapidly rising domestic players like Siasun and Estun Automation are gaining market share by offering competitively priced, highly responsive products and services.
Notably, China’s industrial robot exports surged nearly 60% in the first half of 2025 to reach $746 million, with companies expanding overseas to Southeast Asia, Mexico, and Thailand, accompanying their clients’ efforts to diversify manufacturing supply chains.
This surge in robotic output is also reflected in the broader growth of China’s industrial robotics market, estimated at nearly $9.4 billion in 2024 with forecasts predicting continued double-digit growth through 2033, fueled by manufacturing digitalization and automation trends.
In summary, China’s industrial robot production surpassing 2024’s full-year output underscores the country’s accelerating automation drive and expanding role as a global robotics manufacturing powerhouse. This trend is reshaping global manufacturing dynamics while advancing China’s strategic industrial modernization goals.
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