South Korean media: Global humanoid robot shipments surge 500%, China holds absolute advantage!
On February 22, South Korean media "Herald Economic" published an article stating that in 2025, the global humanoid robot market surged by more than 500% compared to the previous year under the comprehensive offensive of Chinese enterprises. According to the latest data released by IDC, China almost dominated the global humanoid robot market last year, especially full-body size robots with high unit prices and wide applications, which accounted for a large portion of total sales, driving the industry's leapfrog growth.
This explosive growth marks an important turning point, indicating that robot technology has deeply penetrated into actual industries such as entertainment and intelligent manufacturing from purely technical experimental stages. With strong policy support in China and the active efforts of local companies to build mass production systems, future competition is expected to rapidly shift from hardware performance to software and service ecosystems, signaling a structural transformation in the global robotics industry.
IDC data shows that global humanoid robot shipments increased by 508% year-on-year in 2025, reaching about 18,000 units. The global total sales in this field were approximately 440 million U.S. dollars last year. In particular, full-body size humanoid robots with broad application scenarios and higher prices accounted for 41.6% of the total market sales, becoming the core driver of market growth.
Last year, Zhiyuan Robotics ranked first in global market share, shipping 5,200 humanoid robots, including 1,300 full-body size robots. Yuque Technology followed closely behind.
In 2025, the number of humanoid robot products launched in China exceeded 330 models. Currently, the most common application areas for humanoid robots are entertainment and commercial performances, followed by scientific research education, data collection, exhibition guidance, intelligent manufacturing, and logistics warehousing.
IDC pointed out that under the circumstances where leading companies maintain a clear advantage, small and medium-sized enterprises may need to focus on specific application areas. This indicates that the robot industry has transitioned from the stage of quantity expansion to the stage of quality competition, where profitability and professional technology are crucial.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857826199153924/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.