Robot Density

The number of industrial robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers, a measure of a country's factory automation.

Robot density is a metric used by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) in its annual World Robotics report, calculated as the number of industrial robots in operation divided by the number of manufacturing workers, multiplied by 10,000. It cancels out the effect of a country's overall size, making it easier to compare factory automation levels across countries. According to IFR data published in 2024, the global average was about 162 units in 2023, with South Korea the highest and China at about 470, already ahead of Germany and Japan. This figure is often cited in discussions of machines replacing humans, labor shortages, and how much room humanoid robots have to enter factories.

ExampleIFR data show South Korea's robot density exceeded 1,000 per 10,000 workers in 2023, the highest in the world.

Also called

Industrial Robot Density

Related

International Federation of Robotics · Industrial Robot · Machines Replacing Humans · Labor Shortage · Lights-Out Factory

Sources

IFR World Robotics

As of

2024-11