China Leads Global Humanoid Robot Market With 36x More Shipments Than Tesla

State of the Early Market

The global humanoid robot market shipped just 13,317 units in 2025—a market still in its infancy, but one analysts expect to nearly double annually and reach 2.6 million units by 2035. China already claims the lion's share, according to a TechCrunch analysis published February 28, 2026.

China's Structural Advantages

Three factors give Chinese manufacturers a durable early edge. First, the country's mature EV supply chain—spanning sensors, batteries, and actuators—transfers directly to humanoid robotics. Second, Chinese firms iterate faster, releasing new models at a pace US and Japanese rivals struggle to match. Third, lower manufacturing costs translate directly to more competitive pricing.

Top Players by Shipment

Agibot and Unitree led 2025 shipments, followed by UBTech, Leju Robotics, Engine AI, and Fourier Intelligence. Unitree—whose robots performed kung fu flips at China's Spring Festival Gala—targets 10,000-20,000 units in 2026 at a base price of $13,500 per G1 unit.

Tesla Optimus Gap

Unitree alone shipped roughly 36 times as many robots last year as U.S. competitors Figure and Tesla combined. China is estimated to hold 85-90% of global humanoid robot market share in these early stages.

From Demo to Operations

"The biggest shift has been from demo-driven excitement to operations-driven adoption," said Yuli Zhao, chief strategy officer at Galbot. Humanoid robots are now working 10-hour factory shifts, handling EV battery assembly, and managing logistics tasks in live commercial environments.

Source: TechCrunch