China Unveils Service Robot Data as Humanoid Sector Booms

According to the statistics bureau, service robots showed better performance than industrial robots in terms of growth and output during January and February.

The Chinese government’s statistical bureau has added a new metric for “service robots” to its monthly industrial production report, alongside the pre-existing “industrial robots” classification, providing a more comprehensive perspective.
the expanding robotics sector of the nation
.

Although China leads globally in industrial robotics with more than half of all installations worldwide, the nation’s service robot industry – encompassing professional, consumer, and healthcare robots – is experiencing rapid growth, driven partly by startups like those based in Hangzhou.
Unitree Robotics
and Shenzhen-based
UBTech Robotics
.

Data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday revealed that the production of service robots in China – utilized for duties such as delivering items and cleaning – surged by 35.7 percent to almost 1.5 million units during the initial two months of this year.

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Service robots surpassed industrial robots in terms of growth and production. According to NBS data, the output of industrial robots between January and February was 91,088 units, marking a 27 percent rise compared to the previous year.

Sun Xiao, an NBS statistician, stated that the collective production from these sectors, including industrial control computers and systems, led to a 9.1 percent increase in the value addition of digital product manufacturing.

The move by the statistics bureau to release information about the production of service robots highlights the rising significance of robotics within China’s economy. As these robotic assistants become more prevalent across various sectors—from hotels to schools—a rapidly expanding industry with significant promise is emerging.

In recent years, Chinese companies specializing in cleaning robots—a key segment of service robots—have experienced significant growth. According to market research firm IDC, in 2024, Beijing’s Roborock outpaced U.S. frontrunner iRobot in terms of unit shipments.

In the ranking of the leading five manufacturers of cleaning robots from the previous year, four spots were held by Chinese companies: Roborock, Ecovacs Robotics, Xiaomi, and Dreame. iRobot secured the second position with a worldwide market share of 13.7%, coming after Roborock’s 16%.

The Chinese government has been placing increased importance on the robotics industry. During the recent sessions of the nation’s highest legislative and consultative bodies, this was highlighted in their newest work report.
the “two sessions”
For the first time, the phrase “embodied intelligence” was introduced. This concept pertains to the deployment of artificial intelligence within tangible systems like robots.

The field of robotics has likewise drawn interest
substantial attention from venture capitalists
In the initial two months of the year, approximately 2 billion yuan (US$276 million) was distributed among humanoid robot companies through 20 separate investments. This represents a significant rise compared to the 1.2 billion yuan garnered from just four deals during the same period last year, as reported by ITJuzi, a leading provider of venture capital market information.

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The article initially appeared on the South ChinaMorning Post (www.scmp.com), which is the premier source for news coverage of China andAsia.

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