Global sales of professional service robots climbed 9% in 2024 to nearly 200,000 units, according to the World Robotics 2025 Service Robots report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The growth reflects how labor shortages, aging populations, and new subscription models are accelerating the spread of automation beyond factory floors and into warehouses, hospitals, and retail environments.
“There is strong demand for service robots in a number of different application areas,” said IFR President Takayuki Ito. “More companies are turning to subscription or rental models rather than purchasing robots outright.” The global robot-as-a-service (RaaS) fleet expanded 31% last year, a sign that automation is becoming more accessible to smaller operators.
The transport and logistics segment led the market, with sales up 14% to 102,900 units. These robots — used to move goods inside warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing plants — now make up more than half of all professional service robots sold. Subscription-based deployments in this category rose 42%, highlighting a shift toward pay-as-you-go automation.
Hospitality robots held second place with 42,000 units, though sales fell 11% amid slower restaurant and retail investments. Cleaning robots jumped 34% to over 25,000 units, driven by commercial floor-cleaning applications. Agricultural robots declined 6%, while demand for security and rescue robots rose 19%.
Medical robots posted the fastest growth of all categories, up 91% to nearly 16,700 units. Rehabilitation and therapy robots more than doubled, and sales of surgical robots climbed 41%. Robots for diagnostics and laboratory automation surged more than sixfold as hospitals and research facilities struggled to fill staffing gaps.
“In times of labor scarcity, service robots help reduce manual work and meet rising demand for healthcare services,” said Dr. Werner Kraus, chair of the IFR Service Robot Committee.
The consumer market also continued to expand, with nearly 20 million service robots sold in 2024 — an 11% increase. Europe and Asia-Pacific led growth, offsetting a small decline in the Americas.
For wholesale distributors, the global robotics boom represents a new growth frontier. As automation spreads across warehouses, logistics hubs, and healthcare systems, distributors can play a central role in supplying, servicing, and supporting these machines. The shift toward RaaS creates recurring revenue potential through maintenance, parts, and software updates, allowing distributors to move beyond one-time hardware sales.
Distributors already serving industrial and commercial clients can capitalize by offering robotics integration, training, and localized support. Those with regional warehouses and technical teams can shorten delivery times and reduce downtime for customers adopting automation on a scale.
The opportunity comes with challenges. Robotics products evolve quickly, creating risks around inventory, training, and certification. Distributors must also navigate higher service expectations and potential liability for system failures in critical environments such as hospitals and security operations.
Even so, the trajectory is clear: automation is becoming a mainstream investment across industries, and distributors that adapt early stand to gain. The IFR’s data points to a market shifting from one-off equipment purchases to long-term service relationships — a transformation that could redefine how industrial and commercial distributors do business in the years ahead.
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