China’s humanoid robot makers control 97% of global shipments

Chinese manufacturers shipped more than 18,500 humanoid robots in the first half of 2026, according to Smart Analytics Global (SAG). That’s over 97% of the roughly 19,100 units shipped worldwide during the same period. To put the growth in perspective, total global shipments during the first half of 2025 were just 5,100 units, making this a 272% year-over-year increase. Two companies run the show Shanghai-based AgiBot led the pack with approximately 8,400 units shipped, capturing a 44% global market share. Unitree Robotics, headquartered in Hangzhou, came in second with about 5,900 units, good for 31%. Together, those two companies account for roughly 75% of all humanoid robots shipped globally. The remaining 25% is split among a long tail of smaller Chinese firms and a handful of American competitors, including Tesla, Figure AI, and Agility Robotics, which represent only a sliver of global volume. SAG projects full-year 2026 shipments will approach 60,000 units globally, and by 2030, the firm expects that number to balloon to 500,000. Why China, and why now Three factors are converging to give Chinese manufacturers their commanding position: supply chain depth, domestic demand, an...