According to data compiled by the International Federation of Robotics, approximately 7,000 humanoid robots were sold worldwide last year for industrial and professional service applications. While current sales volumes remain modest, industry forecasts point to explosive market growth in the coming years, with China particularly well-positioned to lead the charge.
China, already the world's largest market for industrial robots, showcased humanoid robots capable of running and boxing at a robotics competition held just last month. Under the International Federation of Robotics classification standards, a robot must resemble the human form and operate autonomously in environments designed for people to qualify as humanoid; having two legs is not a mandatory requirement.
Humanoid robots have now attracted billions of dollars in investment, and the various demonstrations have been highly impressive, making this tally one of the first quantitative references to cover the entire industry. Susanne Bieller, Secretary General of the Frankfurt-based IFR, noted in an interview that humanoid robots currently represent only a very small fraction of the global robot population.
For context, approximately 542,000 conventional industrial robots were newly deployed worldwide in 2024, while roughly 199,000 service robots were sold in the transportation, hospitality, and cleaning sectors during the same year. The full 2025 data for industrial and service robots is scheduled for release on September 24. Bieller mentioned that many of the humanoid robots sold in 2025 have not yet been deployed for actual production work; most buyers are research institutions or enterprises using the robots primarily to collect data for refining AI models.
Automakers were among the earliest trial customers for humanoid robots. According to Bieller, car manufacturers are running pilot programs in their factories, with each facility typically deploying robots in single-digit numbers, though some plants have up to a dozen or more units. The International Federation of Robotics has tracked robotics industry statistics for three decades, and this year marks the first time it has added a dedicated humanoid robot category alongside its larger industrial and service robot surveys.
Bank of America Global Research projects that humanoid robot shipments will reach 90,000 units this year, rising to 1.2 million units by 2030. The IFR's figures are compiled from reports submitted by equipment suppliers and national industry associations. The statistics exclude consumer-grade and military humanoid robots, while medical robots are classified separately and do not factor into this tally.
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