Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2026
In a distribution environment being increasingly pushed not just to same-day delivery but within-the-hour delivery demands, technology continues to influence the strategies for material handling and logistics professionals. And yet, despite the emergence of autonomous mobile robots, predictive analytics, handheld devices and AI-everywhere, the main driver of products within and without the four walls of a distribution center remains the forklift.
According to research conducted by Interact Analysis, the global forklift market was projected to grow overall by 6% in 2026. But that growth pattern varies depending on the country or region. Spain, for instance, will see forklift purchases increasing by 10% this year, which Interact attributes to the strength of the Spanish logistics sector as well as the markets ties to Chinese exports. Likewise, India is rebounding from a down year in 2025 with expected growth in orders of 7.9%. China could see growth of 6 to 8 percent this year, largely due to exports of Chinese-made forklifts, while the domestic market within China is softening somewhat.
As for the US market, Interact sees a more modest growth of 3 to 5 percents, with wider growth constrained to a degree by structural headwinds, inflation, and other economic factors.
According to the Industrial Truck Association, the trade association that tracks the US forklift industry, 216 thousand forklifts were sold in the US in 2025, a 9% increase from the 198 sold in 2024. That’s still a long way from the peak of over 340 thousand in the COVID years of 2021-22, but it’s nonetheless reassuring to see the market bouncing back. Sales of electric versus internal combustion are currently at a 2 to 1 ratio in favor of electric, a trend that’s held study for the past several years.
So with that brief overview of the state of the global market, let’s take a look now at the Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers. A quick note that all financial figures are stated in U.S. dollars, based on the relevant exchange rate (if applicable). The information was provided by the companies, unless otherwise noted.
For comparison purposes, below are the previous 10 years’ rankings of the Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers:
Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2025
Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2024
Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2023
Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2022
Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2021
Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2020
Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2019
Top 10 Forklift Manufacturers of 2018
About the Author
Dave BlanchardDave Blanchard
Senior Director of Content
During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. He also serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.