Robot density in the manufacturing industry has reached a new record worldwide with an average of 113 industrial robots per 10,000 employees. Western Europe (225 units) and the Scandinavian countries (204 units) have the most automated production - followed by North America (153 units) and South East Asia (119 units). The top 10 countries with automated production are: Singapore (1), South Korea (2), Japan (3), Germany (4), Sweden (5), Denmark (6), Hong Kong (7), Taiwan (8), USA (9) and Belgium/Luxembourg (10). This is reported by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
"The robot density is calculated from the number of industrial robots in the operational inventory in relation to the number of employees," says Milton Guerry, President of the International Federation of Robotics. "This metric makes it possible to compare nations of different sizes in the global automation race."
Singapore, the country with the highest robot density in the world, recorded 918 industrial robots per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing sector in 2019. The most important player is the electronics industry, which accounts for 75% of the operational workforce. Here, industrial robots are used in the manufacture of semiconductors and computer peripherals in particular.
South Korea follows in second place with 868 units per 10,000 employees. The country is the market leader in the production of LCDs and memory chips with companies such as Samsung and LG. South Korea is also an important production location for the automotive industry and for the manufacture of batteries for electric cars.
Japan (364 robots per 10,000 employees) and Germany (346 units) follow in third and fourth place. Japan is the world's largest manufacturer of industrial robots - it even produces robots by robots. 47% of global industrial robot production is "Made in Japan". The electrical and electronics industry in Japan accounts for 34%, the automotive industry for 32% and the metal and mechanical engineering industry for 13% of the operational stock.
Germany is by far the largest industrial robot market in Europe - 38% of the entire European stock is used in the factories between the North Sea and the Alps. Robot density in the German automotive industry is among the highest in the world. At the same time, the number of employees in the automotive industry has risen continuously - from 720,000 in 2010 to 850,000 in 2019.
Sweden ranks fifth with a robot density of 274 units: the metalworking industry accounts for a market share of 35%, and a further 35% of the operational stock of industrial robots is used in automotive production.
Robot density in the USA rose to 228 units in 2019 - ninth place worldwide. The production figures for cars and light commercial vehicles in the USA achieved the second-largest production volume worldwide. Like the largest car market, China, the USA is a particularly competitive location for the international automotive industry.
Robot density in China is increasing dynamically, reaching 15th place worldwide in the manufacturing industry. In addition to automobile production, China is also an important manufacturer of electronic devices, batteries, semiconductors and microchips.
