Humanoid robot sales tally hit 7,000 globally last year

In 2025, approximately 7,000 humanoid robots were sold globally, according to figures compiled by the International Federation of Robotics. This relatively small number starkly contrasts with forecasts predicting a significant boom in the coming years, especially in China, the world's largest market for industrial robots. The IFR defines a humanoid robot as one with a human-like appearance that operates autonomously in a human environment, although legs are not mandatory.

The IFR's data serve as one of the first comprehensive industry-wide measures of a technology attracting substantial investments. However, the number of humanoids remains a tiny fraction of the global robot population. Susanne Bieller, the secretary general of the IFR, noted that many of the humanoid robots sold in 2025 were purchased by research institutions or companies to generate data for improving AI models, rather than performing productive work.

Carmakers are among the early adopters of humanoid robots, conducting pilot programs with small numbers of robots in their factories. The IFR has been collecting robotics statistics for three decades and recently began tracking humanoid data for the first time. Estimates suggest that 90,000 humanoid robots will be shipped this year, with the number rising to 1.2 million by 2030.

The IFR's figures, based on supplier and national industry association data, exclude consumer and military humanoid robots and classify medical robots separately.