Orders for Japan’s industrial robots surpass 1 trillion yen in 2021

February 7, 2022

Japan Robot Association (JARA) has released the industrial robot order and production figures for 2021. The data shows a significant rebound in demand, fueled by strong performance in China, the United States, and Europe, despite the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Orders reach record high

According to JARA, member companies received orders totaling 940.5 billion yen in 2021, marking a 29.6% increase year-on-year. Production also rose significantly, increasing by 26.4% to 832.6 billion yen.

For the first time ever, the total annual order volume for industrial robots in Japan—including both member and non-member companies—is expected to exceed 1 trillion yen, reaching approximately 1,097 billion yen. Detailed figures are scheduled to be released in May 2022.

Continued growth in Q4 2021

JARA also published data for the October–December 2021 period. Orders received during the quarter amounted to 231 billion yen, up 3.9% year-on-year (YoY), marking the sixth consecutive quarter of YoY growth. Production increased by 29.5% to 211 billion yen, the fifth straight quarter of YoY growth.