5 Million Robots Now Work in Factories Worldwide
Only 7,000 Humanoids Were Sold Last Year
The robot workforce has quietly passed a significant milestone.
There are now five million industrial robots operating in factories around the world, according to new figures from the International Federation of Robotics.
More than 600,000 new industrial robots were installed during 2025, an increase of 11 percent from the previous year. The number of robots operating globally has now more than doubled in just seven years.
But anyone expecting an army of machines resembling humans may be disappointed.
Separate figures released by the federation show that only around 7,000 humanoid robots were sold worldwide during 2025 for industrial and professional service uses. Many of those machines went to research institutions and companies using them to develop and improve AI models, rather than being deployed as ordinary workers.
For now, the robots actually transforming factories tend to be considerably less glamorous: mechanical arms welding cars, moving components, packing products and performing repetitive manufacturing jobs.
China is driving much of the expansion. Chinese factories installed approximately 354,000 industrial robots last year, accounting for 59 percent of new installations worldwide.
Humanoid robots remain one of the technology industry’s favourite visions for the future, with companies racing to develop machines capable of moving through workplaces designed for humans and performing multiple jobs.
That future may still arrive. But the current robot revolution looks less like The Terminator and considerably more like an extremely efficient arm bolted to a factory floor.
