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According to the International Federation of Robotics report, the number of new industrial robots installed in global factories reached a record high of 517,385 units in 2021. This represents a 31% year-on-year increase, surpassing the pre-pandemic robot installation record of 2018 by 22%. Today, the global operational robot stock reaches a new record of approximately 3.5 million units.
Between 2015 and 2021, global annual robot installations more than doubled, with robotics technology and automation usage growing at an amazing pace. Within six years, annual robot installations increased by more than double. According to the latest IFR statistics, in 2021, all major customer industry installations showed strong growth, despite supply chain disruptions and varying regional resistances hindering production.
Asia remains the world's largest industrial robot market. In 2021, 74% of all newly deployed robots were installed in Asia (70% in 2020).
China, the region's largest adopter, saw strong installation growth of 51%, shipping 268,195 units. All other machines installed globally in 2021 were deployed here. Operational stock surpassed the 1 million unit milestone (+27%). This high growth rate indicates China's rapid robotization.
Japan remains the second-largest industrial robot market after China. In 2021, installations grew 22% to 47,182 units. Japan's operational stock in 2021 was 393,326 units (growth of 5%).
After two consecutive years of declining robot installations in all major industries, growth resumed in 2021. Japan is the world's leading robot manufacturer: in 2021, Japanese industrial robot exports reached a new peak of 186,102 units.
In terms of annual installations, South Korea ranks fourth in the robot market after the United States, Japan, and China. In 2021, robot installations increased by 2%, reaching 31,083 units. Installations had been declining for the previous four years. Robot operational stock was calculated at 366,227 units (+7%).
In 2021, Europe's robot installations grew 24% to 84,302 units. This represents a new peak. Automotive sector demand remained stable, while general industry demand grew 51%. Germany, among the world's five largest robot markets, accounted for 28% of Europe's total installations. Italy followed with 17%, and France with 7%.
In 2021, Germany's robot installations grew 6% to 23,777 units. This was the second-highest installation number on record, behind the peak in 2018 when the automotive sector made massive investments (26,723 units). In 2021, robot operational stock was 245,908 units (growth of 7%). German industrial robot exports grew 41% to 22,870 units, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Italy is Europe's second-largest robot market after Germany. Between 2016 and 2021, the main growth driver was the general industry with an average annual growth rate of 8%.
In 2021, robot operational stock was calculated at 89,330 units (+14%). The 2021 results were driven by catch-up effects and early purchases due to reduced tax credits in 2022. This led to a 65% increase in robot installations in 2021, reaching a new record level of 14,083 units.
In 2021, France ranked third in Europe in both annual installations and operational stock after Italy and Germany. In 2021, robot installations increased 11% to 5,945 units. French robot operational stock was calculated at 49,312 units, 10% more than the previous year.
In the UK, industrial robot installations declined 7% to 2,054 units. In 2021, robot operational stock was 24,445 units (growth of 6%), less than one-tenth of Germany's stock. In 2021, automotive sector installations declined 42% to 507 units.
In 2021, the Americas installed 50,712 industrial robots, a 31% increase over 2020. This represents a significant recovery from the pandemic decline in 2020, and marks the second time Americas robot installations exceeded 50,000 units, with 55,212 units in 2018.
In 2021, U.S. new installations increased 14% to 34,987 units. This exceeded the pre-pandemic level of 33,378 units in 2019, but remained far below the peak level of 40,373 units in 2018. The automotive sector remained the largest adopter, installing 9,782 units in 2021. However, demand had been declining for five years (2016-2021). Compared to 2020, installations in 2021 declined 7%. In 2021, metal and machinery sector installations surged 66% to 3,814 units, making this sector rank second in robot demand. The plastics and chemical products sector installed 3,466 robots in 2021 (growth of 30%). The food and beverage sector installed over 25% more robots, reaching a new peak of 3,402 units in 2021. Hygiene solutions provided by the robotics industry experienced continuously growing demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rising energy prices, intermediate product price increases, and electronic component scarcity are challenging all branches of the global economy. However, robot orders remain substantial, and demand for industrial robots has never been higher. Overall, global robot installations are expected to grow 10% in 2022, reaching nearly 570,000 units. The brief post-pandemic boom experienced in 2021 is expected to subside in 2022. From 2022 to 2025, average annual growth is expected to be in the mid-to-high single-digit range.
