Nearly 25,000 Humanoid Robots Shipped in First Half of 2026, IDC Says

Research firm IDC said on September 29, 2026 that nearly 25,000 humanoid robots shipped worldwide in the first half of the year. That was up 432.1% from a year earlier. One day later, Shanghai-based AgiBot said the IDC data ranked it first, with more than 8,600 robots. A humanoid robot is a machine with a roughly human body plan. IDC's count is the third major estimate for the period, and the three do not agree.

How many humanoid robots shipped in the first half of 2026?

IDC put global shipments at close to 25,000 units for the first six months of 2026. It valued the market at more than $740 million, up 322.7%. For comparison, IDC counted more than 18,000 units for all of 2025.

China leads on both sides of the market in IDC's data:

• Shipments in the Chinese market topped 19,000 units, about 77.9% of the world total.
• Chinese makers supplied more than 95% of all units shipped worldwide.

IDC's public summary does not rank the makers. The ranking comes from AgiBot's own release, dated September 30. AgiBot said it shipped more than 8,600 humanoids in the half, about 35% of the global total. Forbes Brasil, estimating from an IDC chart, put Unitree second at roughly 5,000 units. It said IDC drew most makers as bubbles and did not publish exact numbers.

Why do three research firms give three different totals?

IDC's figure is the highest of three estimates for the same six months:

• Smart Analytics Global (SAG): about 19,100 units, up 272%. It put AgiBot at about 8,400 and Unitree at roughly 5,900, eWeek reported on August 11.
• Counterpoint Research: over 22,000 units, up nearly 300%. It put AgiBot at around 9,700 and Unitree at more than 7,000, The Standard reported on August 20.
• IDC: nearly 25,000 units, up 432.1%. AgiBot said IDC's data put it at more than 8,600.

SAG and Counterpoint both put AgiBot first, and AgiBot says IDC's data does too. Its share depends on the total. AgiBot cited about 35% of IDC's total, and Counterpoint gives it over 43%.

The reports do not explain the gap. Counts of humanoids do depend on definitions, as two other sources show. IDC's summary refers readers to a separate taxonomy document for its own definitions.

• UBTech's interim report gives sales of 921 full-size humanoid robots for the first half of 2026. That product line includes a wheeled model, the Cruzr Y1.
• The International Federation of Robotics counts full-size humanoids, above 140 centimeters, meant for commercial and professional use. It put 2025 sales at about 7,000 units. IDC's figure for that year was more than 18,000.

Where did the shipped robots go?

Most went to research, show and data-collection uses, by IDC's count. IDC grouped uses such as research and education, performances and displays, and government centers that collect robot training data. Together they made up 69% of first-half shipments. That share was 83.8% for all of 2025. IDC said humanoids are spreading into manufacturing, retail, logistics, tourism and homes.

eWeek's report on SAG's count gives a different picture. It said industrial and commercial uses made up more than 70% of shipments. The two readings do not match, and the reports cited here do not explain why.

AgiBot's announcements show what a commercial deployment can look like. On September 28 it said it had partnered with ASD, a Chinese cookware company, to deploy 100 X2 humanoids across 100 stores. AgiBot said the robots greet shoppers and recommend cookware. Staff handle promotions, stock questions and the final purchase. The same release also says the robots are being introduced across the stores.

AgiBot also said its cumulative output reached 20,000 robots in September 2026. That is a production count from the company, not a shipment figure from a research firm.

IDC noted a new consumer market as well. It said makers have begun selling small, low-cost humanoids to individuals through online stores. These are sold for children's education and companionship.

Why are Chinese makers so far ahead?

Price and manufacturing scale, according to an analyst and an investor quoted by TechCrunch in August 2026. TechCrunch said Chinese makers often compete at prices that US and European rivals struggle to match. Counterpoint's five largest makers by shipments were all Chinese: AgiBot, Unitree, Galbot, UBTech and Leju Robotics. Together they held 86% of first-half shipments. Counterpoint analyst Soumen Mandal told TechCrunch that US companies operate at a far smaller scale.

List prices give a sense of this. On October 8, 2026, Unitree's online store listed its R1 humanoid from $4,900 and its G1 from $13,500. Those are asking prices, not sales records. An earlier guide to humanoid robot prices compares them with US models.

US makers barely register in these counts. Forbes Brasil's reading of the IDC chart showed one US company, Figure, in the top ten. It showed Figure with a few dozen units. Forbes Brasil said that was hard to square with Figure's own statements about its output. It suggested IDC may count only robots shipped to outside paying customers.

Trade rules are shifting too. In July and August 2026, Washington tightened restrictions on foreign-made advanced robotic systems and imposed steep tariffs on imported drones, TechCrunch reported.

What comes next

The forecasts are large, and they are only forecasts:

• Counterpoint expects more than 50,000 shipments for all of 2026.
• IDC expects more than 750,000 units in 2030. It said that is about 50% above its previous forecast. In April it had forecast more than 510,000 by 2030.

One US maker has set dates for its next robot. Agility Robotics said on September 15, 2026 that it expects early access to its Digit 5 robot to begin in the first half of 2027. It expects general availability by the end of 2027.

Several things remain unknown. None of the reports cited here gives a full table of makers. None shows how many shipped robots are in daily paid use. Second-half figures will show whether the growth rate holds.

The humanoid robot deployments tracker records each maker's shipment claims and deployments as they are published.