South Korea Leads IFR’s Global Robot Density Rankings as Manufacturing Automation Expands
By Greg Bock · · 2 min read
Insider Brief
- South Korea leads the world in industrial robot density with 1,066 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees, followed by Singapore with 873 and Germany with 469, according to the International Federation of Robotics.
- The global average reached a record 152 robots per 10,000 employees, while robot density rose 35% in the European Union, 24% in North America and 47% in Asia between 2020 and 2025.
- China recorded a 147% increase in robot density over five years, reaching 193 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers and ranking 19th globally.
South Korea has the world’s highest density of industrial robots in manufacturing, with 1,066 robots per 10,000 employees, according to new data from the International Federation of Robotics.
Singapore ranked second with 873 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers, followed by Germany with 469 and Japan with 452. The global average reached a record 152 robots per 10,000 employees, IFR reported.
Robot density measures the number of industrial robots in operation relative to manufacturing employment, allowing comparisons between economies of different sizes.
“Tracking robot density creates a level playing field for global analysis by adjusting the number of operational industrial robots against every 10,000 employees in the manufacturing sector,” IFR president Jane Heffner noted.
Robot Density Rises Across Major Regions
The IFR reported increases in robot density across Europe, North America and Asia between 2020 and 2025.
European Union: Robot density rose 35% to 240 units per 10,000 employees. Five EU countries ranked among the world’s 10 most automated manufacturing economies: Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Slovenia and the Netherlands.
North America: Robot density increased 24% to 214 units. The United States ranked eighth globally with 323 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers, followed by Canada with 242 and Mexico with 64.
Asia: Robot density climbed 47% to 144 units per 10,000 employees, with South Korea and Singapore leading the region and Japan ranking fourth globally at 452 units.
China’s Robot Density Climbs 147%
China, the world’s largest industrial robot market, recorded a 147% increase in robot density between 2020 and 2025, reaching 193 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees. The country ranked 19th globally, according to the IFR, which based its calculation on employment data from China’s National Economic Census conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics.
