The 2021 Annual Capital Expenditures Survey (ACES) marks the fourth time that capitalized expenditures for both industrial and service robotics were collected from employer businesses.

Beginning with the 2020 ACES, robotics were collected at the industry level to allow the Census Bureau to provide estimates that reflect the NAICS industries in which the robotic investment was made. Prior ACES estimates collected robotics at the company level.

The robotic equipment expenditures tables provide national level estimates of capital expenditures for robotic equipment by 2-digit NAICS sector (Table 1a) and select 3-digit and 4-digit NAICS industries (Table 2a).

In 2021, U.S. nonfarm employer businesses invested $11,536 million in robotic equipment, not statistically different from the 2020 total of $9,853 million (See Summary Table A below, and Tables 1a and 1b).

Robotic equipment expenditures accounted for 1.1 percent of total equipment expenditures in 2021 and 1.0 percent in 2020.

Three sectors (Manufacturing, Retail Trade, and Healthcare and Social Assistance) accounted for $10,601 million (91.9 percent) of total robotic equipment expenditures in 2021, not statistically different from the 2020 total of $8,840 million (89.7 percent).

The Manufacturing sector was the largest investor in 2021 with $8,581 million, up $3.6 million (73.6 percent) from the 2020 spending of $4,944 million. Capital investment in robotic equipment by companies in this sector accounted for 74.4 percent of all robotic equipment expenditures in 2021 compared to 50.2 percent in 2020.

The Retail trade sector was the second largest investor in 2021 with $1,316 million, a decrease of $2,067 million (61.1 percent) from the 2020 total of $3,383 million. Capital investment in robotic equipment by companies in this sector accounted for 11.4 percent of all robotic equipment expenditures in 2021 and 34.3 percent in 2020.

The Healthcare and social assistance sector invested $704 million in 2021, an increase of $191 million (37.2 percent) from the 2020 total of $513 million.

Five industries invested a total of $5,401 million in robotic equipment and accounted for 62.9 percent of overall spending for robotics in the manufacturing sector in 2021.

• Food manufacturing ($902 million)
• Fabricated metal product manufacturing ($701 million)
• Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing ($600 million)
• Motor vehicle, body trailer, and parts manufacturing ($1,923 million)
• Other miscellaneous manufacturing ($1,275 million)

The same 5 industries in the manufacturing sector invested a total of $3,184 million for robotic equipment in 2020 and accounted for 64.4 percent of the total investment in the manufacturing sector for robotics.

General medical and surgical hospitals invested $490 million in robotic equipment and accounted for 69.6 percent of overall spending for robotic equipment in the healthcare and social assistance sector in 2021. Spending for robotic equipment by companies totaled $424 million in 2020 and accounted for 82.7 percent of overall spending in the healthcare and social assistance sector.

• 2021 ACES Questionnaire   
  
• Tables
  
• Figures  
  

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