Live Markets: Robots may help offset China's labour shortage - Barclays

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19/05/2026 11:12

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ROBOTS MAY HELP OFFSET CHINA'S LABOUR SHORTAGE- BARCLAYS

Barclays says the "decade of the robot" is here and China is positioned to dominate it.

China's control of the humanoid robotics supply chain, from core technology to critical raw materials, not only helps cement its leadership in the technology but could also cushion the economic impact of its shrinking workforce, Barclays said.

The bank estimates humanoid robots could account for the equivalent of 3.8% of its labour capacity by 2035, offsetting nearly 60% of China's projected workforce decline linked to its rapidly aging population.

"These pressures will be felt acutely in the labour market, with working-age population in China projected to fall by 6% between 2026 and 2035, and by 25% by 2050," Barclays said.

"At the same time, the share of elderly in the population is projected to rise from about 15% to over 30%, intensifying demand for healthcare and elderly care workers."

Although robots have existed for a while, China's lead is visible in deployment data. The country was responsible for nearly 85% of global humanoid installations in 2025, Barclays' estimates showed.

"While installations in China have so far been concentrated among a small number of manufacturers, notably Unitree and AgiBot, this reflects the early scale-up phase rather than a narrow ecosystem," Barclays said in a note.

Despite China's edge, U.S. and Europe are still in the race and may scale through consolidation and industrial policy support, the bank said.

(Kanchana Chakravarty)

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