A chart showing annual installations of industrial robots in the U.S. | Source: IFR
The number of industrial robot installations in the United States rose by 11% year over year, according to the International Federation of Robotics, or IFR. U.S. robotics installations reached 38,000 units in 2025.
Robust growth in the food industry and other non-manufacturing sectors drove this recovery, said the Frankfurt, Germany-based organization. However, the automotive industry still remains the largest adopter, reaching 13,500 units, just 1% below last year’s result.
“The United States is back on the growth track,” said Takayuki Ito, the president of the IFR. “While automotive achieved its third-best result in seven years, the data highlights a growing demand for flexible automation in the food industry: Adoption in this sector surged by 30%, now ranking alongside metal and machinery and electrical-electronics, all with approximately 3,000 installations in 2025.”
The degree of automation in the U.S., as measured by robot density, stands at 307 industrial robots in use for every 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry. This places the U.S. in eighth position worldwide, two ranks up from the previous year. The U.S. is behind top automated countries such as South Korea (1,220 robots), Germany (449 robots), and Japan (446 robots), but ahead of China (166 robots).
U.S. vs. China: The importance of a national robotics strategy
However, China far outperforms the rest of the world in terms of market size: Annual installations in China reached 295,000 units in 2024. This represents a global market share of 54%. The IFR has not published preliminary results for China 2025 yet, but according to its estimates, installations are about 10 times higher than the number in the U.S.
This success story is based on the country’s national robotics strategy, which China launched 10 years ago. China’s recently published 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) has now placed robotics at the heart of its modern industrial system, said the IFR. The aim is to focus its AI research on physical applications, with robots being the main driver of economic growth.
The IFR’s outlook on industrial modernization in North America and the U.S. remains highly positive. Accelerating factory reshoring initiatives and a persistent shortage of skilled labor drive this outlook. The IFR projects a resilient, long-term growth trajectory for the region’s automation sector. This will be driven by manufacturers increasing automation investments to mitigate structural workforce gaps, and demand diversifying beyond traditional sectors.
China’s annual installations of industrial robots from 2014-2024. | Source: IFR
A3 advocates for a U.S. robotics strategy
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) has officially presented its “Vision for a National Robotics Strategy” to lawmakers. The trade group advocates for a framework for a Federal Robotics Office and a national commission. These would coordinate policy with the aim of harmonizing government research and fostering public-private partnerships.
The proposed national strategy also calls for market-driven tax incentives, expanded technical workforce retraining, updated safety standards, and a federal mandate to purchase domestic robotics technology to accelerate commercial deployment.
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