Global spending on data centers is expected to increase 31.7 percent, surpassing US$ 650 billion in 2026, up from nearly US$ 500 billion the previous year, forecasts Gartner, a business and technology insights company.
According to Gartner, server spending is projected to accelerate this year, growing 36.9 percent YoY. Moreover, worldwide IT spending is expected to reach US$ 6.15 trillion in 2026, up 10.8 percent from 2025.
“AI infrastructure growth remains rapid despite concerns about an AI bubble, with spending rising across AI‑related hardware and software,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “Demand from hyperscale cloud providers continues to drive investment in servers optimized for AI workloads.”
Meanwhile, software spending growth for 2026 has been slightly revised downward to 14.7 percent, from 15.2 percent for both application and infrastructure software.
“Despite the modest revision, total software spending will remain above US$ 1.4 trillion,” said Lovelock. “Projections for generative AI (GenAI) model spending in 2026 remain unchanged, with growth expected at 80.8 percent. GenAI models continue to experience strong growth, and their share of the software market is expected to rise by 1.8 percent in 2026.”
Earlier this year, Gartner had forecast worldwide spending on AI to total US$ 2.52 trillion in 2026, a 44 percent increase YoY. AI infrastructure will also add US$ 401 billion in spending in 2026 as a result of technology providers building out AI foundations.
