Key Takeaways
- Around 7,000 humanoid robots were sold globally in 2024 for industrial and professional use.
- China is the largest market for industrial robots, showcasing humanoid robots in recent events.
- Humanoid robots are not yet a significant portion of the overall robot population.
Last year, approximately 7,000 humanoid robots were sold worldwide for industrial and professional service use, according to figures compiled by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
These robots, which must have a human-like appearance and operate autonomously in environments designed for humans, are part of a growing market that is attracting significant investment.
China, the world's largest market for industrial robots, recently showcased humanoid robots in running and boxing demonstrations at its robot games, highlighting the potential of this technology.
Susanne Bieller, secretary general of the IFR, stated that while the number of humanoids sold is a fraction of the overall robot population, which includes around 542,000 industrial robots and 199,000 service robots installed in 2024.
Many of the humanoids sold in 2025 were purchased by research institutions or companies for data generation to improve AI models, with car manufacturers running pilots with small numbers of robots in their plants.
Bank of America Global Research predicts that 90,000 humanoid robots will be shipped this year, with an estimated 1.2 million by 2030, indicating a significant growth trajectory.
The IFR has begun collecting data on humanoids alongside its established figures for industrial and service robots, marking a new phase in the industry's statistics.
While the market for humanoid robots is expanding, it remains a niche segment compared to the broader robot market, which continues to grow steadily.
