Following a drop in national birth rates, South Korea has invested billions into robotics to cope with a shrinking population.
According to findings by the World Robotics 2024 report from the International Federation of Robotics, the country now has 1,012 robots per 10,000 employees, making it the top adopter of robotics in industrial settings.
Additionally, the country has more than double the density of robots compared to every other country listed in the report, barring Singapore, which boasts 770 robots per 10,000 employees.
According to the report, the European Union has a robot density of 219 units per 10,000, with Germany, Sweden, and Denmark in the top 10 globally.
A shrinking population in South Korea has called into question the stability of the country’s future.
So to compensate for this, the country is likely to continue expanding its robot ‘workforce’ to keep up with demands.
Takayuki Ito, president of the International Federation of Robotics, said: “Robot density serves as a barometer to track the degree of automation adoption in the manufacturing industry around the world.”
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