Industrial robotics sales hit new record as manufacturers turn to automation

ABB Web edit 2
ABB Web edit 2

Automation makes its mark on global manufacturing as a new report shows industrial robotics sales hit a record $16.5 billion in 2018.


The new World Robotics report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) shows 422,000 robot units were shipped globally in 2018, an increase of 6% compared to the previous year.

IFR forecasts shipments in 2019 will recede from the record level in 2018, but expects an average growth of 12% per year from 2020 to 2022.

“We saw a dynamic performance in 2018 with a new sales record, even as the main customers for robots – the automotive and electrical-electronics industry – had a difficult year,” said Junji Tsuda, president of the International Federation of Robotics.

He added: “The US-China trade conflict imposes uncertainty to the global economy – customers tend to postpone investments. But it is exciting, that the mark of 400,000 robot installations per year has been passed for the first time. The IFR´s longer term outlook shows that the ongoing automation trend and continued technical improvements will result in double digit growth - with an estimate of about 584,000 units in 2022.”

Asia is the world’s largest industrial robot market. In 2018, there was a mixed picture for the three largest Asian markets: installations in China and the Republic of Korea declined, while Japan increased considerably. In total, Asia grew by 1%.

Robot installations in the second largest market, Europe, increased by 14% and reached a new peak for the sixth year in a row. In the Americas, the growth rate reached 20% more than the year before which also marks a new record level for the sixth year in a row.

Five major industrial robot markets represent 74% of global installations in 2018:


  1. China

  2. Japan

  3. United States

  4. Republic of Korea

  5. Germany

China remains the world’s largest industrial robot market with a share of 36% of total installations. In 2018, about 154,000 units were installed. This is 1% less compared to the previous year but more than the number of robots installed in Europe and the Americas together. The value of installations reached $5.4 billion– 21% higher than in 2017.

Chinese robot suppliers increased their share of total installations on the domestic market by 5% (2018: 27% vs. 2017: 22%). This result is in line with China´s policy to promote domestic manufacturers.

Installations of foreign robot suppliers on the other hand (including units produced in China by non-Chinese suppliers) decreased by 7% to about 113,000 units (2017: about 122,000 units). This reduction is also caused by a weakening automobile industry.

Japan’s robot sales increased by 21% to about 55,000 units, representing the highest value ever for the country. The average annual growth rate of 17% since 2013 is remarkable for a market with an already highly automated industrial production. Japan is the world´s number one industrial robot manufacturer and delivered 52% of the global supply in 2018.

Robot installations in the United States increased for the eighth year in a row to a new peak in 2018 and reached about 40,300 units. This is 22% higher than in 2017. Since 2010, the driver of the growth in all manufacturing industries in the U.S. has been the ongoing trend to automate production in order to strengthen the U.S. industries in both domestic and global markets. Regarding annual installations, the country has taken third position from the Republic of Korea.

The annual robot installations in the Republic of Korea declined by 5% – about 38,000 units have been sold in 2018. The robot market strongly depends on the electronics industry that had a tough year. Nevertheless, installations have increased by 12% on average per year since 2013.

Germany is the fifth largest robot market in the world and number one in Europe, followed by Italy and France. In 2018, the number of robots sold increased by 26% to almost 27,000 units – a new all-time record. Installations are mainly driven by the automotive industry.

IFR www.ifr.org

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