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Humanoid Robot Sales Hit 7,000 Globally Last Year, IFR Reports
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CNBC TV18•21-09-2026, 11:19
Humanoid Robot Sales Hit 7,000 Globally Last Year, IFR Reports
- •Approximately 7,000 humanoid robots were sold worldwide last year for industrial and professional service use, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
- •This figure is small compared to forecasts for a significant boom in the coming years, especially in China, the world's largest market for industrial robots.
- •To qualify as humanoid under IFR criteria, a robot must have a human-like appearance and operate autonomously in human environments, though legs are not required.
- •The 2024 humanoid sales are a fraction of the overall robot population, with 542,000 regular industrial robots and an estimated 199,000 service robots sold in the same year.
- •Many humanoids sold in 2024 were acquired by research institutions or companies for data generation to improve AI models, rather than for productive work.
Key Questions Answered
Around 7,000 humanoid robots were sold worldwide last year for industrial and professional service use, according to figures compiled by the International Federation of Robotics.
To qualify as a humanoid under IFR criteria, a robot must feature a human-like appearance and operate autonomously within an environment designed for humans, though legs are not required.
Bank of America Global Research estimates that 90,000 humanoid robots will be shipped this year and 1.2 million by the year 2030.
