Chinese humanoid robot makers now dominate global shipments. Smart Analytics Global (SAG) reports that roughly 19,100 humanoid robots were shipped worldwide in the first half of 2026 — more than 97% of them from Chinese companies, up nearly threefold year over year.
Zhiyuan Robotics has overtaken Unitree as the global leader. Zhiyuan shipped around 8,400 units in H1, or 44% of the world total; Unitree shipped about 5,900. Combined, the two account for roughly three-quarters of all humanoid robots shipped.
The bigger shift: robots are moving from showcases and research labs into real-world deployments. Industrial and commercial use now accounts for more than 70% of shipments, up from about 50% a year ago. SAG expects global shipments to hit about 60,000 units this year.