Data
Industrial robots in operation per 1,000 employees
What you should know about this indicator
- Industrial robots are machines used in factories to automate tasks like welding, assembly, and packaging.
- They are defined as automatically controlled, reprogrammable, and multipurpose machines that can move in three or more directions.
- Reprogrammable means their functions can be changed through software without altering their physical parts.
- Multipurpose means they can be adapted for different tasks with mechanical changes.
- Robots are becoming easier to install and more flexible, which means even small production runs can be automated.
- Companies use robots to improve product quality, increase speed, reduce waste, and cut costs.
Industrial robots in operation per 1,000 employees
Number of industrial robots in operation per 1,000 employees in the manufacturing industry. Industrial robots are automated, reprogrammable machines that can move in three or more directions and perform a variety of tasks in industrial settings.
Source
International Federation of Robotics – processed by Our World in Data
Last updated
January 14, 2026
Next expected update
January 2027
Date range
2023–2023
Unit
robots per 1,000 employees
What you should know about this indicator
- Industrial robots are machines used in factories to automate tasks like welding, assembly, and packaging.
- They are defined as automatically controlled, reprogrammable, and multipurpose machines that can move in three or more directions.
- Reprogrammable means their functions can be changed through software without altering their physical parts.
- Multipurpose means they can be adapted for different tasks with mechanical changes.
- Robots are becoming easier to install and more flexible, which means even small production runs can be automated.
- Companies use robots to improve product quality, increase speed, reduce waste, and cut costs.
Industrial robots in operation per 1,000 employees
Number of industrial robots in operation per 1,000 employees in the manufacturing industry. Industrial robots are automated, reprogrammable machines that can move in three or more directions and perform a variety of tasks in industrial settings.
Source
International Federation of Robotics – processed by Our World in Data
Last updated
January 14, 2026
Next expected update
January 2027
Date range
2023–2023
Unit
robots per 1,000 employees
Sources and processing
This data is based on the following sources
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Citations
How to cite this page
To cite this page overall, including any descriptions, FAQs or explanations of the data authored by Our World in Data, please use the following citation:
“Data Page: Industrial robots in operation per 1,000 employees”. Our World in Data (2026). Data adapted from International Federation of Robotics. Retrieved from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260121-103541/grapher/industrial-robots-in-operation-per-1000-employees.html [online resource] (archived on January 21, 2026).How to cite this data
In-line citationIf you have limited space (e.g. in data visualizations), you can use this abbreviated in-line citation:
International Federation of Robotics – processed by Our World in DataFull citation
International Federation of Robotics – processed by Our World in Data. “Industrial robots in operation per 1,000 employees” [dataset]. International Federation of Robotics, “Robot Density” [original data]. Retrieved January 21, 2026 from https://archive.ourworldindata.org/20260121-103541/grapher/industrial-robots-in-operation-per-1000-employees.html (archived on January 21, 2026).