Humanoid robot sales reach around 7,000 units worldwide in 2025

Yesterday 18:30

By: Azzat Manal

Humanoid robot sales reach around 7,000 units worldwide in 2025

Around 7,000 humanoid robots were sold worldwide in 2025, according to data compiled by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), highlighting the still limited commercial scale of a technology that is attracting growing interest from manufacturers, technology companies and research institutions.

The figure remains modest compared with the broader industrial robotics market. In 2024, manufacturers installed around 542,000 conventional industrial robots worldwide, while approximately 199,000 professional service robots were sold for applications including transportation, hospitality and cleaning.

The IFR defines a humanoid robot as a machine designed with a human-like appearance and capable of operating autonomously in environments intended for people. The definition does not require the machine to have legs, allowing different physical configurations to be included in the category.

According to the federation, humanoid robots currently represent only a small share of the global robotics market. Some of the units sold in 2025 were not deployed directly for manufacturing tasks. Research institutions and companies also acquired them to collect data that can be used to develop and improve artificial intelligence models.

The automotive industry is among the sectors experimenting with humanoid machines. Several manufacturers have launched pilot projects in factories, generally involving only a small number of robots as companies assess their ability to perform repetitive or physically demanding tasks alongside existing automation systems.

China is expected to play a major role in the expansion of the sector. The country is already the world's largest market for industrial robots and has invested heavily in artificial intelligence, automation and advanced manufacturing. Public demonstrations of humanoid robots performing athletic movements and other complex tasks have also drawn attention to the technology's rapid development.

The IFR has begun tracking humanoid robots separately after collecting robotics statistics for around three decades. Its new data collection is intended to provide a clearer picture of a market that remains difficult to measure because manufacturers are developing machines for different purposes and at different stages of commercialisation.

Market forecasts suggest that sales could increase sharply in the coming years. Bank of America Global Research estimates that shipments could reach about 90,000 humanoid robots in 2026 and potentially rise to 1.2 million units by 2030, although such projections depend on improvements in reliability, production costs, artificial intelligence and the ability of robots to operate safely in real-world environments.

The IFR's figures are based on information supplied by robot manufacturers, industry organisations and national associations. The statistics exclude consumer and military humanoid robots, while medical robots are classified separately. The distinction reflects the federation's focus on commercially deployed professional robotics and provides an early measure of a market that could expand as the technology moves from experimental projects toward broader industrial use.