Japan’s robot orders reached ¥858.8 billion in 2020

June 7, 2021

Orders rose while production and shipments declined

On June 1, 2021, the Japan Robot Association (JARA) released data on robot orders, production, and shipments in 2020. The figures include totals from both member and non-member companies.

Robot orders in Japan for 2020 totaled ¥858.8 billion, marking a 5.8% increase from the previous year. In contrast, production fell 1.5% year-on-year to ¥766.5 billion, and total shipments declined 2.8% to ¥766.5 billion. This marks the first increase in orders in two years, while both production and shipments declined for the second consecutive year.

Demand from China drives late-year recovery

At the start of 2020, robot orders remained sluggish due to the impact of COVID-19. However, orders from China picked up significantly in the second half of the year, contributing to the overall growth in demand.

Positive outlook for 2021

JARA also released its outlook for 2021. Robot orders are expected to rise 12.3% year-on-year to ¥964 billion, while production is forecast to grow 12.9% to ¥856 billion.