Industrial robot statistics 2026: Türkiye's robot density, sectors and cobot trends
Türkiye installed 3,194 industrial robots in 2025 and has 52 robots per 10,000 workers. Industrial robot statistics from IFR, Robotics Türkiye and A3 in one place: countries, sectors, cobots and the 2030 target.
More than 5 million industrial robots now work in factories worldwide [1]. Türkiye installed 3,194 new robots in 2025, 9% fewer than the year before [2][3]. Three datasets published in the past month make this a good moment to update the industrial robot statistics that manufacturers and analysts quote: the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) World Robotics 2026 report, the Türkiye Robotics Ecosystem 2026 report from the Robotics Türkiye Platform, and A3's third-quarter robot orders for North America [1][3][4]. This post puts them into comparable tables with a focus on Türkiye.
Global industrial robot statistics: the 5 million mark
According to IFR figures released on September 24, 2026, the operational stock of industrial robots grew 9% to a record 5 million units in 2025. Annual installations jumped 11% to more than 600,000 units [1]. Citing IFR, the Robotics Türkiye report puts 2025 installations at 603,000, compared with 254,000 ten years earlier [3].
IFR forecasts annual installations of 655,000 units in 2026 and 806,000 in 2029 [1][3].
| Country | New industrial robots installed in 2025 | Change | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 354,000 | +20% | 59% of global installations [1] |
| United States | ~38,500 | +12% | [1] |
| Japan | 36,219 | −19% | [1] |
| South Korea | 30,000 | −1% | [1] |
| Germany | <25,000 | −8% | 41% of EU installations [1] |
| India | ~10,500 | +15% | [1] |
| Italy | ~7,800 | −11% | [1] |
| Mexico | <5,200 | −7% | [1] |
| France | ~4,500 | −8% | [1] |
| Brazil | ~4,300 | +38% | Moved ahead of Türkiye [3] |
| Spain | ~4,300 | −15% | [1] |
| Canada | ~4,000 | +5% | [1] |
| Türkiye | 3,194 | −9% | 17th worldwide [2][3] |
Source: compiled by Digital Yakalılar from the IFR World Robotics 2026 press release [1], Anadolu Agency [2] and the Robotics Türkiye Platform [3].
Robot density in Türkiye: 52 robots per 10,000 workers
Robot density is the number of industrial robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees. In Türkiye it is 52, against a world average of 152 [3]. Hungary, which competes with Türkiye to be a production base close to Europe, has 191, and Czechia has 228 [3].
| Indicator | Türkiye | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Robot density (per 10,000 manufacturing employees) | 52 | World 152, Hungary 191, Czechia 228 [3] |
| Robot density in automotive | 374 | 35 outside automotive [2][3] |
| Operational robot stock | 30,990 (+7%, record) | 15th worldwide [2][3] |
| Annual installations, 2025 | 3,194 (−9%) | Record year 2023: 4,429 [2][3] |
| Share of world installations | 0.5% | Share of world economy 1.3–1.8% [3] |
| Average annual installation growth, 2020–2025 | ~10% | India ~27% [3] |
Source: Anadolu Agency (IFR data) [2] and the Robotics Türkiye Platform report [3].
Quotable stat: according to the Robotics Türkiye Platform, if Türkiye installed robots in line with its economic weight it would install about 7,800 robots a year; it installed 3,200 in 2025 [3].
The sharpest gap in the table is between automotive and everything else. Density reaches 374 in automotive but only 35 in other industries [2][3]. Türkiye's robot density problem is really a non-automotive problem.
Industrial robot statistics by sector
According to Anadolu Agency, citing IFR data, metal and machinery was the largest buyer of robots in Türkiye in 2025 [2]:
| Sector (Türkiye, 2025) | New installations | Change / share | Operational stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal and machinery | 990 | +8%, 31% of installations | 6,774 |
| Automotive | 889 | 28% of installations | 11,017 |
| Food, beverages and tobacco | 144 | −40% | – |
| Electrical and electronics | 136 | −37% | – |
Source: Anadolu Agency, IFR World Robotics 2026 data [2]. "–" means the figure is not given in the source.
By application, 59% of installations went to handling and machine tending and 16% to welding [2]. The Robotics Türkiye report notes that non-automotive industries now account for 72% of installations [3]. Demand is spreading beyond automotive, even though density does not yet reflect it.
The pace needed for the 2030 target
According to the Robotics Türkiye report, Türkiye's 2030 Industry and Technology Strategy aims for an installed base of 200,000 robots. That would need about 33,800 installations a year. At today's pace, the stock would reach about 47,000 by 2030 [3]. The gap between target and pace is roughly tenfold.
The report also says the investment economics have changed. Based on interviews with industry representatives, the payback period for robot investments used to be 4–5 years and is now 2 years or less in some applications [3]. The reason given is that labour costs have risen faster than robot prices [3]. This is an interview-based observation, so run your own business case with your own data.
The report's Togg case study describes 282 industrial robots and 29 autonomous mobile robots at the Togg Technology Campus, with a production time of 3 minutes per vehicle [3]. For the safety requirements of mobile robots, see our AMR safety standards guide.
An upside-down ecosystem pyramid
The report maps 285 robotics actors in Türkiye: 83 integrators, 43 end users, 40 robot and platform makers, 87 component and subsystem suppliers and 32 supporting institutions [3]. Of the 54 robot-specific component suppliers, only 9 make motors, reducers and actuators. Of the 280 actors with a known location, 157 are in Istanbul [3]. The report calls this an "upside-down pyramid": integration is strong in the field, but the component layer is thin [3].
Cobot market growth: what the North American data shows
North American data illustrates the cobot trend. According to A3 figures released on October 28, 2026, companies in the region ordered 10,989 robots worth $723.5 million in Q3 2026, up 24.8% in units and 26.1% in value [4]. Cobot orders reached 1,831 units, or 16.7% of all robot units ordered in the quarter [4].
| A3, North America, Q3 2026 | Value |
|---|---|
| Total robot orders | 10,989 units, $723.5 million |
| Year-on-year change | Units +24.8%, value +26.1% |
| Cobot orders | 1,831 units, $63.8 million (+56%) |
| Cobot share of units | 16.7% |
| Cobot share of life sciences orders (first 9 months) | 43.8% |
| Automotive components | +90.4% |
| Semiconductors and electronics | +97.6% |
Source: A3 press release [4]. Manufacturing Dive reports that A3's data excludes autonomous mobile robots and humanoids [5].
These are North American figures and should not be applied directly to Türkiye. Still, cobots gaining ground in non-automotive industries such as life sciences and electronics is a signal worth watching, given that Türkiye's density outside automotive is 35.
Investment in manufacturing technology is also growing. Webrazzi reported on October 28, 2026 that Re:Build, a US company focused on manufacturing technologies, had raised $2.1 billion [6].
Checklist before you start using industrial robots
- Calculate your plant's robot density: robots / manufacturing employees × 10,000 [3]
- Benchmark it against the sector: 374 in automotive, 35 elsewhere in Türkiye [2]
- Choose a first application from the most common uses in Türkiye: handling, machine tending or welding [2]
- Build the payback case on your own labour, shift and scrap data. "2 years" is an interview-based observation, not a target [3]
- Ask integrators for reference projects and post-commissioning support capacity [3]
- Spread robot programming skills to maintenance and production teams rather than keeping them in one expert team [3]
- Complete the safety assessment for robots sharing space with people before installation
- Connect robot data to your MES and production planning
For linking robots to production management, see our Kardemir Level 3 MES case. For turning factory data into energy savings, see our Ford Otosan case.
Frequently asked questions
How many industrial robots are there in Türkiye?
According to IFR data, Türkiye's operational stock of industrial robots reached a record 30,990 at the end of 2025, up 7% [2][3].
What is robot density?
Robot density is the number of industrial robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees. It is 52 in Türkiye and 152 on average worldwide [3].
Which sector uses the most industrial robots in Türkiye?
Metal and machinery installed the most robots in 2025 (990), followed by automotive (889). Automotive still holds the largest operational stock, at 11,017 robots [2].
Which country installs the most industrial robots?
China installed 354,000 robots in 2025, 59% of all installations worldwide [1].
What share of robot orders are cobots?
According to A3, cobots made up 16.7% of robot units ordered in North America in Q3 2026 [4].
References
- International Federation of Robotics (IFR), "Five Million Robots now Operate in Factories Globally", September 24, 2026. https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/five-million-robots-now-operate-in-factories-globally (Accessed: October 31, 2026)
- Anadolu Agency, Bahattin Gonultas and Emir Yildirim, "Industrial robots working in factories surpass 5M worldwide", October 3, 2026. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/science-technology/industrial-robots-working-in-factories-surpass-5m-worldwide/4076682 (Accessed: October 31, 2026)
- Robotics Türkiye Platform (Turkish Informatics Foundation), "Türkiye Robotics Ecosystem 2026", November 2026. https://roboturkiye.org/en/reports/turkiye-robotik-ekosistemi-2026 (Accessed: October 31, 2026)
- Association for Advancing Automation (A3), "North American Robot Orders Increase 24.8% in Third Quarter of 2026", October 28, 2026. https://www.automate.org/robotics/news/north-american-robot-orders-increase-24-8-in-third-quarter-of-2026 (Accessed: October 31, 2026)
- Manufacturing Dive, Nathan Owens, "North American robot orders grew nearly 25% in Q3", October 30, 2026. https://www.manufacturingdive.com/news/north-american-robot-orders-grew-nearly-25-percent-q3-2026-a3/873300/ (Accessed: October 31, 2026)
- Webrazzi, Tuğçe İçözü, "Üretim teknolojilerine odaklanan Re:Build, 2,1 milyar dolar yatırım aldı" (in Turkish), October 28, 2026. https://webrazzi.com/2026/10/28/uretim-teknolojilerine-odaklanan-re-build-2-1-milyar-dolar-yatirim-aldi/ (Accessed: October 31, 2026)
