Global Humanoid Robot Shipments Reach 13,000 Last Year... China Leads the Market

China Surpasses U.S. Companies

Last year, global shipments of humanoid robots reached approximately 13,000 units, with Chinese companies emerging as leaders in the global market.

On January 8 (local time), Bloomberg reported, citing market research firm Omdia, that Chinese companies are dominating humanoid robot shipments, outpacing American competitors such as Tesla with an overwhelming market share.

Humanoid boxing robot by China’s Unitree. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Omdia, Chinese humanoid robot startup Agibot ranked first last year with 5,168 units shipped. Other Chinese competitors, including Unitree and UBTECH, followed closely behind. Omdia commented, "Chinese companies are setting the standard for large-scale production of humanoid robots."

Price competitiveness is also a major strength for Chinese companies. Unitree's basic model is priced at $6,000 (about 8.7 million won), while Agibot's compact version costs around $14,000 (about 20 million won). In contrast, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has suggested a price range of $20,000 to $30,000 (about 30 million to 44 million won) for Tesla's humanoid robot 'Optimus,' which has not yet entered full-scale mass production.

Agibot and Unitree are regarded as representative companies symbolizing China's "robot ambition." In particular, Unitree captivated the Chinese public last year with dancing humanoid robots at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, reportedly sparking a surge of interest and investment in humanoid robot development.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg noted that the number of companies related to humanoid robots in China now exceeds 150, and some policymakers are warning of potential market overheating and the formation of a bubble.