Global shipments of professional service robots surged 24% in 2025 to almost 250,000 units, according to the International Federation of Robotics' "World Robotics 2026 – Service Robots" report released on September 30 in Frankfurt. The report, prepared jointly with Fraunhofer IPA in Stuttgart, also records the emergence of humanoids as a distinct new commercial market.
Growth across every segment
All three robot segments posted double-digit growth, said IFR president Jane Heffner. Professional service robots grew 24%, medical robots 19%, and consumer service robots 37%.
Logistics leads the pack
Transportation and logistics robots remained the top application, with 117,500 units sold — up 21% — accounting for a 47% share of the market. Hospitality robots ranked second, followed by professional cleaning robots, where floor cleaning was the main application.
Humanoids enter the market
Humanoid robots appeared as a new market category in this year's report, with about 7,000 full-size units — those taller than 140 cm — sold worldwide in 2025, intended for commercial and professional use beyond research, development and entertainment. Dr. Werner Kraus, chair of the IFR Service Robot Committee, cautioned that safety standards, high training and maintenance costs, and weak industrial business cases remain significant barriers to wider adoption.
Consumer and medical robots
Consumer service robots saw the fastest growth of all: sales climbed 37% to nearly 34.2 million units, driven by household-task automation, deeper AI integration and smart-home connectivity. In medical robotics, surgical robots were the main growth driver, with 8,400 units sold — a 57% jump — as adoption gained momentum in clinical practice.
A note on the data
The IFR cautions that its figures are sample data drawn from 238 service-robot suppliers and are not projected to the whole industry. The federation also strongly discourages comparing figures across different editions of its World Robotics reports.
Sources: Global Sales of Professional Service Robots Surge 24% | IFR press release: World Robotics 2026 Service Robots
Growth across every segment
All three robot segments posted double-digit growth, said IFR president Jane Heffner. Professional service robots grew 24%, medical robots 19%, and consumer service robots 37%.
Logistics leads the pack
Transportation and logistics robots remained the top application, with 117,500 units sold — up 21% — accounting for a 47% share of the market. Hospitality robots ranked second, followed by professional cleaning robots, where floor cleaning was the main application.
Humanoids enter the market
Humanoid robots appeared as a new market category in this year's report, with about 7,000 full-size units — those taller than 140 cm — sold worldwide in 2025, intended for commercial and professional use beyond research, development and entertainment. Dr. Werner Kraus, chair of the IFR Service Robot Committee, cautioned that safety standards, high training and maintenance costs, and weak industrial business cases remain significant barriers to wider adoption.
Consumer and medical robots
Consumer service robots saw the fastest growth of all: sales climbed 37% to nearly 34.2 million units, driven by household-task automation, deeper AI integration and smart-home connectivity. In medical robotics, surgical robots were the main growth driver, with 8,400 units sold — a 57% jump — as adoption gained momentum in clinical practice.
A note on the data
The IFR cautions that its figures are sample data drawn from 238 service-robot suppliers and are not projected to the whole industry. The federation also strongly discourages comparing figures across different editions of its World Robotics reports.
Sources: Global Sales of Professional Service Robots Surge 24% | IFR press release: World Robotics 2026 Service Robots
