As China’s population falls, 300,000-strong robot army keeps factories humming

China’s factories welcomed 295,000 newly installed industrial robots last year, easing fears the nation’s manufacturing juggernaut could falter after the population declined for a third consecutive year.

The robot boom in the rapidly ageing society is helping offset some of the challenges of a declining workforce and bolstering its manufacturing edge, which is set to sharpen further as humanoid technology matures, analysts said.

China’s population has declined since 2022, with a decrease of 1.39 million last year. But the country now boasts a record 2.027 million active industrial robots, leading the world by a wide margin, according to the 2025 edition of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) World Robotics Report.

More than half of the world’s 542,000 new robots were installed in Chinese factories in 2024, according to the September report. The machines weld car frames, assemble electronic devices and move heavy loads with precision, filling labour gaps caused by the demographic shift.

“It’s an inevitable trend that more simple, repetitive tasks will be done by robots in the future, though some creative and complex tasks still require human ingenuity,” said Professor Gao Xudong from Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management.

“Despite the shrinking overall population, with improvements in workforce education and the widespread use of robots, China’s manufacturing industry has no problem in maintaining and enhancing its competitive edge,” he added.

South China Morning Post