Sales of professional service robots rose 9% last year to nearly 200,000 units, as companies turned to automation to address labour shortages and meet surging demand in healthcare, according to new data from the World Robotics 2025 Service Robots report.
The study, published by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), found that robots designed for trained professionals—used in sectors such as logistics, healthcare, and hospitality—are increasingly being deployed to fill workforce gaps and improve efficiency. Medical robots, in particular, experienced a dramatic rise in demand, with sales up 91% year on year to around 16,700 units.
“There is strong demand for service robots in a number of different application areas,” said Takayuki Ito, President of the IFR. “More companies are opting for subscription or rental models rather than purchasing robots outright. The robot-as-a-service fleet grew impressively by 31%.”
According to the survey of 294 service robot suppliers, transport and logistics robots accounted for more than half of all professional service robot sales, with 102,900 units sold in 2024—a 14% rise. These include mobile robots that move goods within warehouses or other controlled environments. While direct sales remained the dominant business model, the robot-as-a-service segment surged by 42% over the same period.
Hospitality robots, used for customer service, guidance, and telepresence, ranked second, although sales fell 11% to just over 42,000 units. The sector, which includes food and beverage preparation robots, continues to evolve amid cost pressures and shifting consumer habits.
Cleaning robots saw the strongest growth among the top three segments, climbing 34% to more than 25,000 units sold, driven mainly by demand for automated floor cleaning in commercial and public spaces.
Agricultural robot sales fell 6% to about 19,500 units, largely due to lower demand for cultivation and milking systems. Search and rescue, as well as security robots, increased 19% to 3,100 units, with most deployed for surveillance purposes.
The IFR categorises medical robots as a distinct group alongside service and industrial robots. Within this category, rehabilitation and non-invasive therapy robots recorded the sharpest increase, up 106%. Sales of surgical robots grew by 41%, while those for diagnostics and laboratory automation skyrocketed by 610%.
“In times of labour scarcity, service robots help reduce manual workloads and enable healthcare providers to meet growing demand from an ageing population,” said Dr Werner Kraus, Chair of the IFR Service Robot Committee. “Automation in medical laboratories, in particular, offers exciting opportunities.”
Robots for consumer use—such as robotic vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers—grew by 11% to nearly 20 million units in 2024. European and Asia-Pacific manufacturers led the segment, each achieving 16% growth, while sales in the Americas slipped by 1% amid declining demand for robotic vacuum cleaners.
