Robot Density: China Rising, US Lagging

The latest Robot Density Report was released by the IFR and it wasn't very shocking

Nov 22, 2024

"A goal without a plan is just a wish."– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This week, we received the latest Robot Density Report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The robotics industry anticipates this report each year because it shows the annual global growth in Robotics and where it is happening country by country. The IFR takes a bit of time to put the report together, so it always looks one year before the year of its release. So, the data for this new report looks at 2023.

You may ask why. The IFR is looking at actual install numbers, not sales data. This is important because it allows the report to show a country’s actual install base and whether it is growing or not. If the report relied on only sales data, it may look like a country is growing when all it is doing is switching out old robots for new ones, which doesn’t really mean it is growing its base of robots; it is just buying robots.

Now, the IFR does release sales figures throughout the year, and those reports give us an idea of what is happening, but until the Density Report drops, we will not better understand growth versus replacement.

For this report, I am not seeing anything very shocking when we look at the previous reports and the treadlines that were emerging. We saw China was rising quickly and that the US was continuing to fall down the list. With this new report, while not shocking, it should be a wake up call for some countries.

The Report Itself

According to the World Robotics 2024 report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), global robot density in factories has hit a record 162 robots per 10,000 employees in 2023, more than double the 74 units recorded seven years ago. This surge reflects the rapid adoption of automation across the manufacturing industry.

Regional Insights:

Europe: Leads with a density of 219 units, driven by countries like Germany, Sweden, and Denmark, all in the global top 10.
North America: Density rose to 197 units, with the U.S. ranking 11th globally at 295 units.
Asia: Density climbed to 182 units, with standout performances from Korea, Singapore, China, and Japan.

Top Countries in Robot Density:

Korea: 1,012 units per 10,000 employees, driven by its electronics and automotive sectors.
Singapore: 770 units, achieving high density due to its small manufacturing workforce.
China: 470 units, doubling its density in just four years and overtaking Germany and Japan.
Germany: 429 units, maintaining steady growth with a 5% CAGR since 2018.
Japan: 419 units, growing 7% annually, thanks to its leadership in robot manufacturing.

This rapid increase highlights the global shift toward automation, with Asia leading the charge and countries like China making remarkable progress.

Countries With National Robotics Plans Continue To Grow

It is no secret that the countries in the Top 5 now have what are clear robotics and automation plans. From China’s Made in China 2025 to Germany’s Industrie 4.0, these national strategies appear to be showing in the numbers.

It is also the growing reason that the US is falling further behind. Even though we have a great team from the robotics industry develop the US Robotics Roadmap every four years, we don’t see much when it comes to federal coordination of efforts on a scale that the Top Five countries have.

While the Manufacturing USA Institutes and the CHIPS Act are providing much assistance to growing the US’s industrial robot base, it is clear from this latest IFR report that others are doing much better because they are doing something about it. For the US to return to the Top Ten, significant investment and key planning will be needed. Implementing many of the items in the US Robotics Roadmap would help, but that will require the US politicians to actually do something about that. Let’s say I don’t hold out much hope.

In 2022, the US was at 285 robots per 10,000 workers. For 2023, the number when up to 295 robots per. So a 3.5% growth in the install base. We really need to be closer to 5% if we every hope of returning the Top Ten. So hopefully we will see where 2024 lands next year when the IFR publishes next year’s report.

Not Much More To Say

Due to traveling this week, I haven’t been able to dig more into the IFR report. However, I think I will see more of the evidence that countries that actually have solid national plans for robotics and automation will continue to grow and move up this list.

The US really needs to wake up and start making bold plans, especially since we are facing the same aging demographics and shrinking workforces as the other countries on the list. We need to make significant investments to help companies automate dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks and train their existing workforces to leverage robotics and automation to their maximum potential. Until US politicians agree and actually commit to that type of what appears to be bold leadership, then expect the US to fall to the middle of the pack in the coming years and continue to lose leadership in the field of robotics industry that sees it as a part of their national strength.

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