China’s Humanoid Robot Boom Faces Weak Buyer Demand
Companies shipped more than 13,000 humanoid robots in 2025, but many buyers remain state-owned enterprises or niche users, analysts said.
- In 2025, China dominated the global humanoid robot market by shipping more than 13,000 units, with leading firms AGIBOT and Unitree each delivering over 5,000 robots and securing around 85% of global market share.
- Massive state support aligned with the Communist Party's 2026-2030 five-year plan drove this production surge, as state-owned enterprises placed more than 2 billion yuan in orders for power plants, data centers, and entertainment.
- Chinese-Made robots cost at least 20% less than foreign models on average, with basic editions priced at 180,000 yuan ; yet experts caution that real-world commercial demand significantly lags behind manufacturing capacity.
- Real-World deployments like cleaning services have accelerated, though users in Beijing found helper robots inefficient and difficult to move in small homes; Matrix Robotics received roughly 1,000 orders for its MATRIX-3.
- Last year, the Chinese government warned of potential bubble risks given lagging commercialization; Morgan Stanley projects sales could double to around 28,000 units this year, though functionality remains limited in messy environments.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Chinese humanoid robots dominate the market with thousands shipped a year. But most are still performative rather than functional
Chinese-made humanoid robots are making waves with their ability to do backflips, direct traffic, and even make coffee as the companies developing them seek ways to expand and dominate the market. Robot makers in China say they have thousands of orders from both the government and private businesses for humanoids that can do such things as sort parcels at postal centers, as the country finds ways to cope with an aging population and rising labor…
China’s Push for Humanoid Robots Faces Demand Challenges
Chinese-made humanoid robots are gaining attention for their diverse abilities, from backflips to making coffee, as companies in China strive to expand their presence in the market. With orders pouring in from government agencies and private businesses, robot makers are focusing on developing humanoids that can assist in various tasks, such as sorting parcels and addressing the challenges of an aging population and increasing labor costs. Despit…
Humanoid robots made in China dance, back-flip, serve coffee and even drive traffic, in a technological race where Beijing tries to dominate one of the most promising industries of the future. But, behind spectacular demonstrations and huge investments, Chinese companies face a major problem: real demand is still too low. China and the United States lead the global competition for the humanoid robot market, assessed by Morgan Stanley at about 5 …
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