China raises share of humanoid robot patent filings to 60.8%
English translation from Unibot. Source published 2026-09-29.
China captured 60.8 percent of the global patent market for humanoid robots. We are talking about applications in the five largest patent offices in the world for the first half of 2026. This gap is becoming increasingly difficult for South Korean developers to ignore.
The data was collected by South Korean MP Lee Jeong-heon. According to him, the United States accounts for 21.8 percent, South Korea - 4.6 percent.
In 2024, China had 51.8 percent. Over the same period, the US share fell from 27.3 percent and South Korea from 6.3.
Key figures
China's share of IP5 patents: 60.8 percent
US share: 21.8 percent
South Korea's share: 4.6 percent
China's share of foundation models for robots: 66.3 percent
Fresh applications - in favor of China
In the first half of 2026, China filed 1,584 patent applications for humanoid robots. USA - 113, South Korea - 35.
A year earlier, the situation was as follows: 2,573 for China, 640 for the USA and 97 for South Korea.
The department warned: the figures are preliminary. Patent applications are usually published with a delay of 18 months. So the latest data is more of an incomplete picture than a final tally.
Fundamental models for robots
China also holds 66.3 percent of IP5 patents related to foundation models for robots. Such models collect data from different sources and allow the robot to master new tasks without separate programming for each action. The USA has 14.1 percent, South Korea has 8.8 percent.
The number of patents in itself does not prove technical superiority. The final figures depend on corporate strategy, government support, and the breadth of patent claims, and not just on the quality of the invention. But independent assessments of the possibilities cited by the newspaper point in the same direction.
Manipulation and interaction: Korea loses its edge
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning took the US as a benchmark of 100 points and rated advanced autonomous manipulation. In 2022, South Korea received 85 points, China - 79. By 2024, China increased to 90, and Korea dropped to 80.
The picture is similar with the interaction between humans and robots. In 2022, Korea led China with a score of 85:84. In 2024, China took 90 versus 80 from Korea.
Dependency risk and Korea's response
Lee warned that weakening domestic competencies plus growing foreign patents could make Korean robot makers dependent on foreign technology - with the prospect of paying royalties. He called for a review of the national strategy for investment in research and intellectual property.
Industry sources cite China's advantage as its integrated supply chain: components, robot assembly, AI software. Korean manufacturers, they say, are faced with gaps in their own production of critical hardware for humanoid robots - complex joints and drives. Plus there is not enough data to train robots for physical tasks.
Hyundai Motor Group is using its supplier network to localize components and is working with technology companies including Nvidia on robot training data. Whether these efforts will yield secure patents for humanoid robots and a stronger internal component base is a practical test for South Korea's response.