China’s state statistics agency has introduced a new data series on “service robots” in its monthly industrial output report, in addition to the existing “industrial robots” category, offering a clearer view of the country’s growing robotics industry.
While China is already the world’s leading industrial robot market, accounting for over half of global installations, the country’s service robot sector – including professional, consumer, and medical robots – is also rapidly expanding, fuelled by the rise of start-ups such as Hangzhou-based Unitree Robotics and Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics.
According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday, the output of service robots in China – used for tasks like delivery and cleaning – jumped 35.7 per cent to nearly 1.5 million units in the first two months of the year.
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Service robots outperformed industrial robots in both growth and output. In January and February, the output of industrial robots reached 91,088 units, a 27 per cent increase from a year earlier, NBS data showed.
Crowds watch a robot perform a somersault at an exhibition in Beijing. Photo: Kyodo alt=Crowds watch a robot perform a somersault at an exhibition in Beijing. Photo: Kyodo>
NBS statistician Sun Xiao said in a statement that the combined output from both segments, along with industrial control computers and systems, contributed to a 9.1 per cent growth in the added value of digital product manufacturing.
The decision by the statistics office to provide data on service robot output underscores the growing importance of robotics in China’s economic landscape. The increasing integration of service robots into daily life, spanning hospitality to education, has fostered a booming market with vast potential.
Chinese brands specialising in cleaning robots, a major category of service robots, have been growing in recent years. In 2024, Beijing-based Roborock surpassed American leader iRobot in shipments, according to market research firm IDC.
Among the top five cleaning robot manufacturers last year, four were Chinese: Roborock, Ecovacs Robotics, Xiaomi, and Dreame. iRobot ranked second with a global market share of 13.7 per cent, trailing Roborock’s 16 per cent.
The Chinese government has been putting greater emphasis on the robotics sector. In its latest work report presented during the annual meetings of the country’s top legislature and advisory body known as the “two sessions”, the term “embodied intelligence” was mentioned for the first time. The concept refers to the application of artificial intelligence in physical systems, such as robots.
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