The World Robotics report records 381,964 industrial robots in use on U.S. factory floors—an increase of 10%. Annual installations reached 37,587 units in 2023. This was down 5% but still the third highest result in U.S. history.
“The United States accounted for 77% of total installations in North America in 2023,” says Marina Bill, president of the International Federation of Robotics. “Annual installations rank third in the world behind Japan and China. A large number of investment announcements have been made by the automotive industry, which will create a demand for robots over the next few years.”
Automotive
The U.S. automotive industry is the largest customer market, accounting for 33% of total US installations in 2023. This segment shows a well-known cyclical demand pattern. Sales fell by 15% to 12,421 units, around the average level of the last decade. Installations in the metal and machinery industry were up 8% to 4,171 units. The U.S. electrical/electronics industry remained stable up 1% at 3,900 units.
Canada and Mexico
Nearshoring efforts have led to changes in economic relationships within North America. China used to be the main source of imports into the United States. Now it is Mexico and Canada, mainly driven by car manufacturers.
In Canada, the automotive industry installations grew strongly by 95% and reached a new peak level of 2,500 units installed 2023—representing a market share of 58%.
In Mexico, demand from the automotive industry surged in 2021 and 2022 and declined by 5% to 4,087 units in 2023. This segment accounts for 70% of total installations in Mexico.
Outlook
The overall economic situation in the United States is good. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) expects the GDP to grow by 2.6% in 2024 and by 1.8% in 2025. Supported by the Chips and Science Act, the Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, new production capacity is being created in the automotive industry, the electronics industry, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and the metal industry. All these industries have a high demand for robots.
