China has installed nearly as many robots in its factories as the rest of the world combined last year, accelerating the push to making manufacturing automated, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

In 2021, the shipment of industrial robots to China rose 45 percent from the previous year to more than 243,000, the journal said, quoting data from the International Federation of Robotics.

China accounted for nearly half of all heavy-duty industrial robot installation last year, cementing the country's status as the No 1 market for robot manufacturers worldwide. The IFR data also shows China has installed almost twice as many new robots as factories in America and Europe.

Automation could help Chinese factories focus more on higher-value manufacturing, while also making robots more available, the report said.

Preliminary data showed that, in 2021, Chinese electronics manufacturers' robot installation rose 30 percent. Other sectors that are major investors in robotics are automakers and manufacturers of plastics, rubber, metals and machinery.