The claim
“China is ahead in humanoid robots.”
Research firms say Chinese makers ship most of the world's humanoids, and China installs most factory robots; no independent test compares their abilities.
01The evidence
Independent
Research firm Smart Analytics Global said China's AgiBot had 44% of world humanoid robot shipments in the first half of 2026.
Independent
The same research firm said China's Unitree had 31% of the world market in that period.
Independent
Research firm Omdia ranked AgiBot first in the world for humanoid robot shipments in 2025, at 5,168 units.
Independent
China installed 354,000 industrial robots in 2025, 59% of the world total, according to the International Federation of Robotics.
Independent
China's new five-year plan for 2026 to 2030 puts robotics at the centre of its industry, but expects humanoid robots to be sold widely only near the end of that period.
Independent
In the US, The Information reported Tesla went from a few dozen Optimus robots a week to several hundred a week by August 2026.
What we don't know. Shipment counts come from private research firms, and there is no independent test comparing what Chinese and American humanoids can actually do.