China Controls 85% of Global Humanoid Robot Market

The Government of China has established a dominant position in the global humanoid robot market, accounting for approximately 85% of global shipments last year. This growth is driven by the Communist Party's 2026-2030 five-year plan and the support of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which tracked over 140 manufacturers and 330 models in 2025.

Leading firms such as Unitree Robotics and AgiBot each shipped over 5,000 robots in 2025, with Unitree reporting 1.7 billion yuan in revenue. Other startups, including Matrix Robotics and EngineAI, are deploying robots for parcel sorting, security, and hospitality. Matrix Robotics developed the MATRIX-3 model and reported roughly 1,000 orders for use in coffee chains and hotels.

Despite the lead in hardware supply and production capacity, experts warn that commercial demand lags behind manufacturing. Many robots remain performative and struggle in unpredictable environments, and high costs limit widespread deployment. Current orders are largely driven by state-owned enterprises and research labs.

Nonetheless, Morgan Stanley expects Chinese humanoid sales to more than double this year to approximately 28,000 units. This trajectory is supported by falling prices for locally sourced parts and a national need to address rising labor costs and an aging population.