China officially plans to produce 100,000+ humanoid robots this year

Signals Inbox·July 8, 2026·Humanoid Robotics

If China really makes more than 100,000 humanoids this year, the next thing to watch is where they go. Schools, exhibitions, government projects, factories, warehouses, eldercare, or actual repeat customers. The difference between those use cases will tell us whether this is the start of a real robot labor market or just a very large hardware bubble.

Q1Is this actually confirmed?

Yes. The clean source is the State Council Information Office of China, which republished a Xinhua dispatch. The number came from Gan Xiaobin, deputy director of the science and technology department under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. He said China’s humanoid robot output is expected to exceed 100,000 units this year at a press conference for WAIC 2026. Here is the primary English source.

Q2What does 100,000 actually mean?

It means expected output, not confirmed sales. That is a big difference. China can make 100,000 humanoids before 100,000 customers are ready to use them.

Q3How big is that number?

Very big for humanoids. AP reported that more than 13,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, with Chinese models making up around 85 percent. Omdia expected China’s humanoid sales to more than double to around 28,000 units this year. So 100,000 units would be a huge jump from early shipments. It would mean Chinese factories are preparing for a market much larger than today’s real demand.

Q4How does this compare with the US?

The US has strong humanoid companies: Figure, Tesla, Agility, Apptronik, and Boston Dynamics. But most of them are still talking about pilots, first factories, or future production lines. Figure says its BotQ line can produce up to 12,000 humanoids per year and aims for 100,000 robots over four years. China is talking about more than 100,000 humanoids in one year across the country.

Q5Is 100,000 a lot compared with normal robots?

Yes and no. It is huge for humanoids, but still smaller than China’s normal industrial robot machine. The International Federation of Robotics said China installed 295,000 industrial robots in factories in 2024, around 54 percent of global installations. So 100,000 humanoids would not make humanoids bigger than industrial robots.

Q6Why can China move faster here?

Because you need cheap actuators, reducers, batteries, cameras, sensors, hands, metal parts, plastic parts, cables, and final assembly. China already has a lot of that from EVs, drones, phones, appliances, and factory automation. That means a Chinese humanoid company can often find suppliers, change parts, rebuild bodies, and cut costs faster.

Q7What is the catch?

The catch is usefulness. A lot of humanoids can walk, wave, sort objects in a lab, or perform on stage. That is not the same as working eight hours inside a warehouse or factory. Buyers will care about boring questions: how often does it fail, how long does the battery last, can it lift real objects, who fixes it, and does it save more money than it costs?