Global humanoid robot shipments reached approximately 13,000 units in 2025—a fivefold year-over-year increase—with Chinese manufacturers accounting for the vast majority. AgiBot led shipments with over 5,000 units, though industry observers note a significant gap between demonstration capabilities and real-world application viability.
According to market research firm Omdia, global shipments of humanoid robots grew more than five times year-over-year in 2025, reaching approximately 13,000 units. China dominated this growth, representing the overwhelming majority of shipments. Shenzhen-based AgiBot emerged as the market leader, shipping about 5,168 units during the period.
The shipment growth reflects accelerated manufacturing capacity and investment in China's robotics sector, where companies benefit from government subsidies and concentrated supply chains. However, the absolute volume remains modest—industrial robots globally shipped over 500,000 units in the same period, placing humanoids at less than 3% of that market.
Recent demonstrations at CES 2026 highlighted Chinese manufacturers' technical showmanship, with companies like AgiBot showcasing walking, object manipulation, and basic interaction capabilities. Bloomberg reports these choreographed displays drew significant attention but revealed persistent limitations: most units operated in controlled environments with predefined tasks, lacking the adaptability required for unstructured settings like warehouses or hospitals.
Practical deployment hurdles include high production costs ($50,000-$150,000 per unit), power consumption constraints, and safety certification requirements. While companies target logistics and manufacturing applications, current implementations remain limited to pilot programs. For example, AgiBot's units primarily serve in structured factory assembly lines rather than dynamic customer-facing roles.
Omdia's data suggests the industry is transitioning from pure R&D to early commercialization, but scaling remains constrained by unsolved technical challenges. Key gaps include reliable bipedal locomotion on uneven surfaces, real-time environmental interpretation, and energy efficiency. Until these are resolved, the gap between trade show demonstrations and economically viable deployment will persist.
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