Rapid rise in robotics adoption: Global average robot density doubles in just six years, IFR finds.

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has published a report on the global robotics density data. According to IFR, the world hit a new record of 3.9 million operational robots in 2022 due to the high volume of industrial robot installations.

IFR explains in its press statement that robot density is the number of operational industrial robots relative to the number of employees. It can cover the whole manufacturing industry or just specific industrial branches. The number of employees serves as a measure of economic size, so the quotient of operational stock over employees puts the operational stock on a uniform base.

The topmost automated countries measured by robot density are: The Republic of Korea (1,012 robots per 10,000 employees), Singapore (730 units) and Germany (415 units). This is according to the World Robotics 2023 report, presented by IFR.

“Robot density data reveal the state of automation worldwide and allow us to compare regions and countries,” says Marina Bill, president of  IFR. “The speed of robotics adoption in factories around the world is impressive: the new global average robot density hit an all-time high of 151 robots per 10,000 employees – more than double the number measured only six years ago.”

North America’s robot density is 188 units per 10,000 employees. Robot density in the United States rose from 274 units in 2021 to 285 in 2022. The country ranks tenth in the world. Canada’s robot density stands at 198 units.

Asia has a robot density of 168 units per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry. On a global scale the economies of Korea, Singapore, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei all rank within the top ten most automated countries. According to IFR, the European Union has a robot density of 208 units per 10,000 employees with Germany, Sweden and Switzerland ranking in the global top-ten group.