In 2023, investments in industrial robots in Japan were valued at 8.49 trillion yen (approximately 5.6 billion US dollars), a decrease of 23.6% from the previous year. This marks the first decline in four years, reflecting a slowdown due to global economic uncertainties.

Jan 26, 2024 - The Japan Robot Association announced on the 25th that the order value (member base) for industrial robots in 2023 was 723.7 billion yen, down 24.3% from the previous year. This is the first decrease in four years. Although there is a strong desire to invest in automation due to measures to combat labor shortages, it is clear that capital investments are being postponed due to uncertainty in the global economy. The annual order amount for 2023, including members and non-members, is expected to be approximately 849 billion yen, down 23.6% from the previous year.

Domestic shipments in 2023 increased by 0.3% from the previous year to 190 billion yen, increasing for the third consecutive year. On the other hand, exports decreased by 13.4% to 609.9 billion yen, the first decrease in four years. By major region, sales decreased in North America and Asia other than Europe. Particularly, demand for industrial robots from China, which accounts for about half of demand, fell by about 56 billion yen from the previous year to about 243.2 billion yen. The weakness in capital investment in automotive welding and electronic component mounting applications has become apparent.

Announced on the same day that the amount of orders for industrial robots (member basis) for the October – December period of 2023 was 157.9 billion yen, down 28.6% from the same period last year, making the fifth consecutive quarterly decline. In the October-December period, it was the lowest level since 2017. Production value also decreased by 19.8% from the previous year to 175 billion yen.

At the beginning of the year, the Japan Robot Association predicted that the annual order value for industrial robots (including non-members) in 2024 would be 900 billion yen, an increase of 6.0% from the previous year’s estimate. Chairman Kenji Yamaguchi (FANUC President) explains, “Although there continues to be a wait-and-see situation regarding capital investment, the need for automation itself has not diminished, and there is plenty of potential to achieve our goals.”

Robot manufacturers are not optimistic about the Chinese economy in 2024, and many are taking a cautious view. The idea is to encourage the use of robots in areas where robots have not yet been widely adopted, leading to an increase in orders."

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