Robotics Stocks: 5M Factory Robots, Optimus Snags | Oct 02, 2026
The robot industry's annual census is out, and the big money is still in boring robots. The International Federation of Robotics' World Robotics 2026 report counts a record five million industrial robots in factories worldwide, with more than 600,000 installed in 2025. China took 59 percent of installs, and the U.S. passed Japan to become the second-largest market at almost 38,500 units. The Federation's service-robot report adds a reality check: about 7,000 full-size humanoids were sold in 2025, and it cites "the lack of a strong business case" as a key barrier.
We also cover a report from…
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