Service robots are experiencing a global growth boom

summary

Frankfurt, October 7, 2025 – The total number of service robots sold for commercial use reached almost 200,000 in 2024, an increase of 9%. Talent shortage is a major factor in companies using robots designed for trained professionals. At the same time, the demand for medical robots is increasing due to the increase in the elderly population. These findings are published in the World Robotics 2025 Service Robots report by IFR.

Takayuki Ito, president of the International Federation of Robotics, said, “There is strong demand for service robots in a variety of application fields.” “More and more companies are deciding to enter into subscription or rental agreements for robots rather than purchasing them outright in order to integrate automation without large up-front investments. Robot as a Service (RaaS) fleets are experiencing an impressive 31% growth.”

Top Applications of Professional Service Robots by Sales Volume

With 102,900 units sold (+14%) in 2024, it was built for more application classes in transportation and logistics than any other professional service robot. These robots mainly cover mobile robots for transporting and handling goods. While traditional sales remained the main channel of monetization, RaaS grew in popularity, with a growth rate of 42% in 2024. Transportation in indoor environments without public transportation will be the most important application class within this segment. A special chapter of World Robotics 2025 focuses on the drivers and challenges of this dynamic market.

Hospitality robots remain in second place with over 42,000 units sold, down 11%. The majority of these robots are for navigation, information points in public environments, and telepresence. These service robots perform small-scale services and facilitate sales in stores, shopping malls, and front desks. As the field evolves, new applications such as food and beverage preparation are emerging.

The third-place commercial cleaning robot market grew by 34%, with more than 25,000 units sold. The main use is floor cleaning.

Agricultural robot sales came in fourth place, down slightly by 6% with nearly 19,500 units sold. This decline was mainly caused by cultivation and milking.

In the search and rescue application group, security robots ranked fifth with a total of 3,100 units sold in 2024, an increase of 19%. Three of the four robots in this application class were for security services.

medical robot

According to ISO standards, the World Robotics 2025 Yearbook considers medical robots as a third category alongside service robots and industrial robots. Sales of medical robots increased by 91% in 2024, reaching approximately 16,700 units. Sales of rehabilitation and non-invasive therapy robots increased by 106%. Demand for surgical robots increased by 41%, and sales of diagnostic and medical test analysis robots increased by 610%.

“A special chapter of the World Robotics 2025 report focuses on the exciting opportunities presented by automation in medical laboratories,” said Dr. Werner Kraus, Chairman of the IFR Service Robotics Committee. “In an era of labor shortages, service robots can help alleviate manual labor and open up new ways to address the increasing demand for health services from a rapidly growing elderly population.”

consumer robot

Consumer service robots are manufactured for the mass market. Consumer service robots recorded a solid 11% growth rate, with nearly 20 million units sold in 2024. Domestic robots (floor cleaning, lawn mowing, etc.) were by far the largest consumer robot category. Growth was primarily driven by companies in Europe and Asia Pacific, both of which achieved 16% growth, while sales in the Americas decreased by 1%. This is because the market share of robot vacuum cleaners has declined.

Note: The World Robotics Service Robots report is sample data. Data is not projected across industries. The composition of the sample varies each year. All numbers in the World Robotics Service Robots 2025 report are based on a sample of 294 service robot suppliers. Editing or comparing data from different World Robotics Reports is strongly discouraged.

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