IFR: Industrial robot sales surged in Europe, Asia and the Americas in 2021

Sales of industrial robots have reached a strong recovery, according to 2021 preliminary figures that the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) announced today: a new record of 486,800 units were shipped globally in 2021– an increase of 27% compared to the previous year.

Asia/Australia saw the largest growth in demand: installations were up 33% over 2020, reaching 354,500 units. The Americas increased by 27%, up by 49,400 units. Europe saw double digit growth of 15% with 78,000 units installed.

“Robot installations around the world recovered strongly and make 2021 the most successful year ever for the robotics industry,” says Milton Guerry, President of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). “Due to the ongoing trend towards automation and continued technological innovation, demand reached high levels across industries. In 2021, even the pre-pandemic record of 422,000 installations per year in 2018 was exceeded.”

In 2021, industrial robot installations in Europe recovered after two years of decline - exceeding the peak of 75,600 units in 2018. Demand from the most important adopter, the automotive industry, stayed level, but with 19,300 installations, it was the top vertical. Demand from metal and machinery rose strongly (15,500 installations, +50%), followed by plastics and chemical products (7,700 installations, +30%).

In the Americas, the number of industrial robot installations reached the second-best result ever, only surpassed by the record year 2018 (55,200 installations). The largest American market, the United States, shipped 33,800 units – this represents a market share of 68% for the Americas.