China dominates global humanoid robot shipments in 2025, outpacing US rivals

China-based startup Shanghai AgiBot Innovation Technology shipped an estimated 5,168 humanoid robots last year, the highest globally, followed by Unitree Robotics and UBTECH Robotics, Omdia data showed.

“China could be the most important market for humanoids,” RBC Capital Markets said in a note this month. The bank projects a global total addressable market of US$9 trillion by 2050, with China accounting for more than 60% of that figure, CNBC reported.

Price competitiveness has been a major advantage for Chinese manufacturers. Chinese startup Noetix Robotics unveiled Bumi, a 94-cm humanoid robot priced at 9,998 yuan ($1,380), slightly less than Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, which starts at 9,999 yuan in China, in October 2025.

Unitree offers an entry-level humanoid robot priced at about $6,000, while AgiBot charges roughly $14,000 for a scaled-down model. By comparison, Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk has previously said the company’s Optimus humanoid robots could cost between $20,000 and $30,000, although the product has yet to enter full-scale production, according to Bloomberg.

Humanoid robot Walker S2 developed by Chinese robotics firm UBTECH walk in unison. Photo courtesy of UBTECH Robotics

“China currently leads the United States in the early commercialization of humanoid robots,” Andreas Brauchle, a partner at consultancy Horváth, told CNBC. “While both countries are expected to build similarly large markets over time, China is scaling more rapidly in this initial phase.”

In November 2025, Shenzhen-based UBTECH Robotics released a video showing hundreds of its Walker S2 humanoid robots standing in formation and walking in unison into shipping containers. The footage drew skepticism from Brett Adcock, founder and CEO of U.S. robotics firm Figure, who described it as “fake.”

The company’s chief brand officer, Tan Min, said the reaction reflected “a lack of understanding” of China’s manufacturing strength and its advanced robotics ecosystem. “Critics should come to China and see for themselves the vibrant growth in the humanoid robotics sector and engage directly with the industry chain,” Tan said.

Humanoid robots are designed to resemble human form and movement, combining artificial intelligence algorithms with complex hardware such as advanced semiconductors. Last year, Unitree’s dancing humanoid robots gained nationwide attention during China’s Spring Festival Gala, helping fuel a surge in development and investment. China now has more than 150 humanoid robot manufacturers, according to the South China Morning Post.

Omdia expects global humanoid robot shipments to reach 2.6 million units by 2035, driven by advances in AI models, dexterous robotic hands, and self-reinforcement learning that are making humanoids viable for industrial, service, and eventual household use.