Manufacturing increased a lot over the last decade, but the number of factory workers grew much more slowly, because factories don’t need as many human workers as they used to, due to rising productivity. One factor in rising productivity is the growing number of robots.
“Global robot density in the manufacturing industry, measured by the number of factory robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees, has more than doubled over the last seven years, growing from 74 robots to 162. Leading the pack is South Korea, with roughly one factory robot for every ten manufacturing employees. This increased automation can improve productivity while reducing workplace injuries,” reports the Doomslayer newsletter.
While South Korea and Singapore have the highest percentages of robots, China is beginning to catch up, and now has the third highest percentage of robots in manufacturing, just ahead of Germany and Japan, which rank fourth and fifth respectively.
The International Federation of Robotics explains:
The European Union has a robot density of 219 robots per 10,000 employees, an increase of 5.2%, with Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia in the global top ten.
North America’s robot density is 197 robots per 10,000 employees – up 4,2%. The United States ranks tenth in the world among the most automated countries in the manufacturing industry.
Asia has a robot density of 182 robots per 10,000 persons employed in manufacturing – an increase of 7.6%…Korea, Singapore, mainland China and Japan are among the top ten most automated countries.
Top countries
The Republic of Korea is the world´s number one adopter of industrial robots with 1,012 robots per 10,000 employees. Robot density has increased by 5% on average each year since 2018. With a world-renowned electronics industry and a strong automotive industry, the Korean economy relies on the two largest customers for industrial robots.
Singapore follows with 770 robots per 10,000 employees. Singapore is a small country with a very low number of employees in the manufacturing industry…
China took third place in 2023, surpassing Germany and Japan. The country’s push to the use of automation technology results in a high robot density of 470 robots per 10,000 employees (2022: 402 units). China only entered the top 10 in 2019. It has managed to double its robot density within four years.
Germany ranks fourth with 429 robots per 10,000 employees. The robot density of Europe’s largest economy has grown by 5% since 2018.
Japan is in fifth place with 419 robots. Robot density of the world’s predominant robot manufacturing country grew by 7% on average each year (2018-2023).
Robot density in the United States reached 295 robots in 2023. The country ranks tenth in the world.
Robot taxis are transporting thousands of passengers every day in the United States.
Japan is turning to robots to care for its elderly as its birth rate shrinks.
German robots are hunting the North Sea for tens of thousands of unexploded World War II bombs.
Scientists have developed tiny robots made of human cells to repair damaged cells. Nanorobots are also being used to fight cancer. “In a major advancement in nanomedicine, Arizona State University scientists…have successfully programmed nanorobots to shrink tumors by cutting off their blood supply.”
Robots with artificial intelligence are spreading on Japanese farms. On some American farms, there are drones with artificial intelligence, and robots that use artificial intelligence to kill 100,000 weeds per hour. Scientists have developed tiny robots to repair damaged cells, and nanorobots to destroy cancerous tumors.
Robots are replacing some fast-food workers after California increased the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 per hour, which many franchises just can’t afford. Thousands of fast-food workers lost their jobs due to the minimum wage hike.
Last year, doctors used a surgical robot to carry out incredibly complicated spinal surgery.
