The International Federation of Robotics reported on September 24, 2026 that the global stock of operational industrial robots reached five million in 2025. Its annual release recorded growth of 9% in the installed fleet and more than 600,000 new installations during the year.
What it means for manufacturers
The practical question for a factory is where automation fits its own process. A useful investment case connects a specific production constraint with integration costs, operator training and maintainability. A larger global fleet does not guarantee that every application is ready to automate.
Source: International Federation of Robotics — World Robotics 2026 release. Source published September 24, 2026. This is a short independently written summary, not the original release.