A total of 74 robots per 10,000 employees in manufacturing industries. This is the average number of industrial robots installed worldwide in 2016 according to the latest figures provided by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The previous year, the average number of robots was 66.
By region, Europe leads with an average of 99 robots per 10,000 manufacturing industry workers. America has 84 robots, while in Asia the average is 63 units. However, if we analyze the growth in the 2010-2016 period, the continent that grows the most is Asia (9%), followed by America (7%) and Europe (5%).
The ranking of countries with the highest number of industrial robots per capita is led by South Korea, with 631 robots per 10,000 industrial employees. Second place is occupied by Singapore (488) and third is for Germany (309). Japan is the fourth country in this ranking (303) and Sweden the fifth (223).
The United States occupies the seventh position (189 robots), while Spain appears in the 11th place (160 robots per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry).
The country in the world that has most rapidly increased the density of robots in the manufacturing industry in recent years is China, which has gone from 25 units per 10,000 workers in 2013 to 68 units in 2016. China currently ranks 23rd in this ranking and its goal is to be among the top ten by 2020, according to the IFR.
South Korea has been the leading country in industrial robotization since 2010, thanks especially to the robots used in the electronics and automotive industries.
Japan, which is the fourth country in the ranking, is the world's main manufacturer of industrial robots. In 2016, it was able to produce 153,000 units, which allowed it to meet 52% of the global demand for robots.
In Europe, Germany is the leading country in both installed robots and sales of industrial robots. The five European countries with the highest density of robots in the manufacturing industry are completed by Sweden, Denmark, Italy, and Spain. The only G7 country that is not above the world average is the United Kingdom (71 units per 10,000 employees).