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IT Spending Statistics 2026

Gartner forecasts worldwide IT spending of $6,391 billion in 2026 and $7.35 trillion in 2027, up 15%, with data center systems the fastest growing segment; Forrester puts 2027 technology spending at $6.1 trillion on its own definition. Gartner expects AI spending of $2.7 trillion in 2026, and TrendForce expects the nine largest cloud providers to spend $957 billion on capex this year. Memory shortages are pushing hardware prices up, and IDC forecasts an 11.3% fall in PC shipments in 2026.

Download CSVCite this pageUpdated November 4, 2026 · 23 sources · 52/52 quotes re-checked

This page tracks how much organizations worldwide spend on information technology, where that money goes, and what is pushing costs up. It covers Gartner, IDC and Forrester market forecasts for 2026 and 2027, AI and data center investment from analysts and company filings, memory and server prices, regional totals, and survey data on company IT and cloud budgets. Figures are worldwide unless a country or region is named, and most describe 2026.

Global IT budgets are growing faster than in any recent Gartner forecast. Gartner's October 2026 update puts 2026 spending at $6,391 billion, up 14.5%, and 2027 at $7.35 trillion, up 15%. Gartner's first forecast for 2026, published in October 2025, was $6.08 trillion with 9.8% growth, so the estimate rose by about $300 billion in a year. Other forecasters use narrower definitions: Forrester expects $6.1 trillion of technology spending in 2027, and IDC expects global ICT spending of $4 trillion in 2026, with business ICT spending outside consumers growing 10%.

The growth is concentrated. Gartner expects data center systems spending to rise 73.8% to $879 billion in 2026, while IT services grow 4.4%. Software is the largest segment at $1,464 billion. Cloud vendors' results show where the money lands: Alphabet reported Google Cloud revenue up 103% to $30.7 billion in the third quarter of 2026, and Synergy Research Group put second quarter revenue from cloud, SaaS, social media and search at $497 billion.

AI is now large enough to be its own budget line. Gartner forecasts $2.7 trillion of AI spending in 2026, of which about $1.48 trillion is AI infrastructure. TrendForce expects combined capex at the nine largest cloud providers to reach $957 billion in 2026 and pass $1.5 trillion in 2027, and company filings back this up: Amazon expects about $220 billion of 2026 cash capex, Meta $135 billion to $145 billion, and NVIDIA reported $89.0 billion of data center revenue in a single quarter.

The cost side is what buyers feel. TrendForce expects conventional DRAM contract prices to rise another 10 to 15% in the fourth quarter of 2026, and IDC cut its 2026 PC shipment forecast to a decline of 11.3% even as PC market value rises. Survey data show how companies respond: Spiceworks found 92% of organizations planned cost savings even while 64% planned to raise IT budgets for 2025, and Flexera's respondents estimated that 29% of their cloud infrastructure spend is wasted.

01

Worldwide IT spending totals

Gartner, Forrester and IDC all expect strong growth, but they measure different things. Gartner's IT spending forecast covers data center systems, devices, software, IT services and communications services and reaches $6,391 billion for 2026. Forrester's $6.1 trillion for 2027 and IDC's $4 trillion ICT figure for 2026 come from different definitions, so the totals should not be compared directly. Gartner's 2026 estimate rose by about $300 billion between its October 2025 and October 2026 forecasts, mostly because of AI infrastructure.

02

IT spending by segment and cloud

Data center systems are where the growth is: Gartner expects that segment to grow far faster than any other in 2026, driven by AI servers bought mostly by cloud providers. Software is the largest segment, while IT services and devices grow at single digits. Google Cloud's 103% revenue growth in the third quarter of 2026 shows the same demand from the seller's side. Gartner segment totals are in billions of US dollars from its October 2026 table.

Worldwide IT spending forecast by segment, 2027 (billions of US dollars)

Gartner forecast published October 2026, worldwide, billions of US dollars.

  • Software$1,679
  • IT services$1,633
  • Communications services$1,391
  • Data center systems$1,366
  • Devices$916
  • IaaS$367

Source: Gartner, Gartner Forecasts Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 15% in 2027, Totaling $7.35 Trillion

03

AI spending inside IT budgets

Gartner's AI spending forecast overlaps with its IT spending forecast rather than adding to it: AI servers, AI software and AI services sit inside the segments above. More than half of 2026 AI spending is infrastructure, which NVIDIA's data center revenue reflects. IDC's regional forecasts run to 2029. The CloudZero survey covers 500 US software engineers at manager level and above and describes 2025 plans, so treat it as a company-level signal rather than a market total.

Worldwide AI spending by market, 2026 (millions of US dollars)

Gartner forecast published September 2026, worldwide, millions of US dollars; selected markets.

  • AI infrastructure$1,484,397
  • AI services$576,481
  • AI software$461,637
  • AI cybersecurity$51,347
  • AI agents and assistants$29,219
  • Generative AI models$28,266

Source: Gartner, Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 49.5% in 2026

  • $2.7 trillion

    Gartner forecasts worldwide AI spending of $2.7 trillion in 2026, a 49.5% increase on 2025.

    Gartner · Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 49.5% in 2026 (Sep 2026)

    Exact quote

    Worldwide spending on AI is forecast to total $2.7 trillion in 2026, a 49.5% increase year-over-year, according to Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.

  • $1,484,397 million

    AI infrastructure accounts for $1,484,397 million (about $1.48 trillion) of Gartner's 2026 AI spending forecast, more than half the total.

    Gartner · Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 49.5% in 2026 (Sep 2026)

    Exact quote

    AI Infrastructure 981,920 1,484,397 1,977,685

  • 117%

    Gartner raised its 2026 growth forecast for generative AI model spending from 110% to 117%.

    Gartner · Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 49.5% in 2026 (Sep 2026)

    Exact quote

    As a result, the 2026 growth rate for generative AI models has increased from 110% growth in the previous forecast to 117% growth in the current forecast.

  • $290 billion

    IDC forecasts European AI spending of $290 billion in 2029, a compound annual growth rate of 33.7% from 2025.

    IDC · European AI Spending to Reach $290 Billion by 2029, Driven by Banking, Software, and Agentic AI Adoption (Apr 2026)

    Exact quote

    MILAN, April 3, 2026 – According to a new forecast from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide AI and Generative AI Spending Guide , European spending on artificial intelligence will reach $290 billion in 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.7% over the 2025–2029 forecast period.

  • $370 billion

    IDC expects AI and generative AI spending in Asia/Pacific to reach $370 billion by 2029.

    IDC · IDC: Asia/Pacific AI and GenAI Spending to Reach $370 Billion by 2029, Growing 5x (Apr 2026)

    Exact quote

    AI and GenAI spending in Asia/Pacific is accelerating rapidly, with total investment expected to reach $370 billion by 2029.

  • $85,521

    A CloudZero survey of 500 US software engineers at manager level and above found average monthly AI spending of $62,964 in 2024, which respondents' plans put at $85,521 in 2025.

    CloudZero · The State Of AI Costs In 2025 (2025)

    Exact quote

    In 2024, the average monthly spend on AI was $62,964, which our findings suggest will rise to $85,521 in 2025 (a 36% increase).

  • 45%

    In the same CloudZero survey, the share of organizations planning to spend more than $100,000 a month on AI tools was set to rise from 20% in 2024 to 45% in 2025.

    CloudZero · The State Of AI Costs In 2025 (2025)

    Exact quote

    Notably, the proportion of organizations planning to invest over $100,000 per month in AI tools is set to more than double, jumping from 20% in 2024 to 45% in 2025.

  • $89.0 billion

    NVIDIA reported data center revenue of $89.0 billion for its fiscal quarter ended July 26, 2026, up 117% from a year earlier.

    NVIDIA · NVIDIA Announces Financial Results for Second Quarter Fiscal 2027 (Exhibit 99.1, Form 8-K) (Aug 2026)

    Exact quote

    Data Center revenue of $89.0 billion, up 117% from a year ago

04

Hardware prices and the memory shortage

Hardware spending is rising partly because each unit costs more. AI servers absorb most memory supply, so DRAM and NAND contract prices keep climbing, and that flows into the price of PCs, laptops and servers. IDC expects fewer PCs shipped in 2026 but a higher total market value, which is what higher average selling prices look like in the data. Buyers planning device refreshes should budget for higher unit prices through 2027.

05

Data center and cloud provider capital spending

Capital spending by cloud providers is the biggest driver of IT spending growth. TrendForce and Dell'Oro both show data center capex roughly doubling year on year, and company filings confirm the scale: Amazon expects about $220 billion of cash capex in 2026, Meta $135 billion to $145 billion, and Microsoft has $364.6 billion of datacenter leases signed but not yet started. This money buys capacity that companies later rent as cloud services, so it reaches enterprise budgets with a lag, through cloud and AI prices.

  • $957 billion

    TrendForce projects combined capex at the nine largest cloud service providers to more than double to $957 billion in 2026.

    TrendForce · CSP CapEx Projected to Exceed US$1.5 Trillion in 2027, with AI Server Revenue Growing Over 90% YoY (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Combined CapEx among the world’s nine leading CSPs is projected to surge 106% YoY to US$957 billion in 2026.

  • 60%

    Cloud provider capex is expected to pass $1.5 trillion in 2027, a further 60% increase.

    TrendForce · CSP CapEx Projected to Exceed US$1.5 Trillion in 2027, with AI Server Revenue Growing Over 90% YoY (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    In 2027, this figure is expected to surpass $1.5 trillion, representing a further 60% YoY increase.

  • 92%

    Dell'Oro Group reported that worldwide data center capital expenditures grew 92% in the second quarter of 2026, with higher memory and storage prices lifting server prices.

    Dell'Oro Group · Data Center Capex Grew 92 Percent in 2Q 2026, Driven by Surging AI Demand and Memory Costs (Sep 2026)

    Exact quote

    Data Center Capex Grew 92 Percent in 2Q 2026, Driven by Surging AI Demand and Memory Costs

  • 32.2%

    TrendForce forecasts AI server shipments to grow 32.2% in 2026.

    TrendForce · CSP CapEx Projected to Exceed US$1.5 Trillion in 2027, with AI Server Revenue Growing Over 90% YoY (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    TrendForce now forecasts AI server shipments to grow 32.2% YoY in 2026 given the strong overall demand outlook.

  • $220 billion

    Amazon expects its 2026 cash capital expenditures to be approximately $220 billion.

    Amazon · Amazon.com Announces Third Quarter Results (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    We continue to expect 2026 cash capital expenditures to be approximately $220 billion.

  • $20.0 billion

    Microsoft's additions to property and equipment rose by $20.0 billion year on year in the quarter ended September 30, 2026, according to its quarterly filing.

    Microsoft · Microsoft Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    Cash used in investing increased $7.4 billion to $42.0 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2026, primarily due to a $20.0 billion increase in additions to property and equipment and a $6.7 billion increase in cash used in other investing primarily to facilitate the purchase of components, offset in part by a $19.1 billion increase in cash from net investment purchases, sales, and maturities.

  • $127 billion

    Synergy Research Group measured hyperscale operator capex at $127 billion in the second quarter of 2025, up 72% from a year earlier.

    Synergy Research Group · Justifying the Explosive Growth in Hyperscale CAPEX (Sep 2025)

    Exact quote

    Hyperscale operator capex reached $127 billion in the second quarter, up 72% from the second quarter of 2024.

  • $135 to $145 billion

    Meta expects 2026 capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, of $135 billion to $145 billion.

    Meta Platforms · Meta Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results (Exhibit 99.1, Form 8-K) (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    We anticipate 2026 capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, to be in the range of $135-145 billion, narrowed from our prior outlook of $130-145 billion.

  • $364.6 billion

    As of September 30, 2026, Microsoft had signed $364.6 billion of leases, mainly for datacenters, that had not yet started, with terms beginning between fiscal 2027 and fiscal 2034.

    Microsoft · Microsoft Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026 (Oct 2026)

    Exact quote

    As of September 30, 2026, we had additional leases, primarily for datacenters, that had not yet commenced of $ 364.6 billion, with some arrangements subject to certain contractual conditions being met.

06

Regional totals, company budgets and cloud costs

The United States accounts for about half of IDC's global ICT total, and security is one of the few categories with its own fast-growing budget line. Company surveys add the buyer view: most organizations planned to raise IT budgets, yet almost all also planned cost cuts, which suggests reallocation more than open-ended growth. The Spiceworks figures describe 2025 budget plans from 803 IT professionals in North America and Europe surveyed in mid-2024, and Flexera's 2026 cloud survey of 753 professionals was fielded in winter 2025.

Top cloud challenges reported by organizations

Flexera 2026 State of the Cloud survey of 753 technical professionals and executives worldwide, fielded in winter 2025.

  • Managing cloud spend85%
  • Security82%
  • Managing software licenses78%

Source: Flexera, Flexera 2026 State of the Cloud Report

  • $2 trillion

    IDC expects the United States to lead global ICT spending in 2026 at $2 trillion.

    IDC · Global ICT Spend to Reach $4 Trillion in 2026, Driven by Accelerated AI Platform Investments in Aerospace and Defense (Feb 2026)

    Exact quote

    The United States will lead global ICT spending in 2026, reaching $2 trillion, driven by its large enterprise base and rapid adoption of cloud and AI technologies.

  • $308 billion

    Global security spending is projected at $308 billion in 2026, rising to $430 billion by 2029, according to IDC.

    IDC · Global Security Spend to Exceed $300 Billion in 2026 as the Adoption of AI-Driven Security Platforms Gains Momentum (Mar 2026)

    Exact quote

    BOSTON, March 3, 2026 – Global security spending is projected to reach $308 billion in 2026 and $430 billion by 2029 , according to the latest forecast from the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Worldwide Security Spending Guide.

  • $150 billion

    The United States accounts for $150 billion of IDC's 2026 security spending forecast.

    IDC · Global Security Spend to Exceed $300 Billion in 2026 as the Adoption of AI-Driven Security Platforms Gains Momentum (Mar 2026)

    Exact quote

    The United States will lead worldwide security spending in 2026, reaching $150 billion, driven by significant investments by the Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government industries.

  • 64%

    In the Spiceworks and Aberdeen State of IT survey of 803 IT professionals in North America and Europe, 64% of companies planned to increase IT budgets in 2025 and only 4% planned a decrease.

    Spiceworks · The 2025 State of IT (2025)

    Exact quote

    Nearly two-thirds (64%) of companies plan to increase their IT budgets in 2025 .

  • 9%

    Spiceworks respondents expected overall IT spending to grow 9% from 2024 to 2025; the typical company expected a 5% increase.

    Spiceworks · The 2025 State of IT (2025)

    Exact quote

    Total IT spending is expected to grow 9% year over year.

  • 19%

    Hardware and software each took 19% of 2025 IT budgets in the Spiceworks survey, ahead of cloud at 15% and IT labor at 13%.

    Spiceworks · The 2025 State of IT (2025)

    Exact quote

    According to our research, the bulk of 2025 IT budgets will go towards hardware (19%), software (19%), cloud (15%), and IT labor (13%), with the top spending areas within each category listed below.

  • 92%

    Even with budgets rising, 92% of organizations in the Spiceworks survey planned some form of cost savings in 2025.

    Spiceworks · The 2025 State of IT (2025)

    Exact quote

    Despite overall IT budget plans rising in 2025, the vast majority (92%) of companies intend to implement some form of cost savings relating to people, processes, or technology, with an average of four measures planned per organization.

  • 53%

    Security concerns were the top reason for IT budget growth, cited by 53% of organizations planning to raise spending in 2025.

    Spiceworks · The 2025 State of IT (2025)

    Exact quote

    The top driver of technology budget growth is increased security concerns, influencing 53% of organizations planning to raise spending in 2025 (up from 41% in 2023 and 48% in 2024).

  • 29%

    Respondents to Flexera's 2026 State of the Cloud survey estimated that 29% of their IaaS and PaaS spend is wasted, the first rise after five years of decline.

    Flexera · Flexera 2026 State of the Cloud Report (2026)

    Exact quote

    After five years of decline, wasted cloud spend increased slightly to 29%, reflecting growing cost complexity from AI and new IaaS and PaaS services.

  • 17%

    In Flexera's 2026 State of the Cloud survey of 753 technical professionals and executives worldwide, 17% said they had exceeded their public cloud budget in the past year.

    Flexera · Flexera 2026 State of the Cloud Report (2026)

    Exact quote

    Twenty-seven percent of respondents expect to increase their public cloud spending, while 17% reported exceeding their public cloud budgets in the past year.

FAQ

How much is spent on IT worldwide?

Gartner forecasts worldwide IT spending of $6,391 billion in 2026 and $7.35 trillion in 2027. Forrester expects global technology spending of $6.1 trillion in 2027, and IDC expects global ICT spending of $4 trillion in 2026; each uses a different definition.

Which part of IT spending is growing fastest?

Data center systems. Gartner expects that segment to grow 73.8% to $879 billion in 2026, driven by AI servers, compared with 4.4% growth for IT services.

How much of IT spending is AI?

Gartner forecasts $2.7 trillion of AI spending in 2026, which overlaps with its IT spending forecast. More than half of that, $1,484,397 million, is AI infrastructure such as AI-optimized servers and cloud capacity.

How much are the big cloud providers spending on capex?

TrendForce projects $957 billion of combined capex at the nine largest cloud providers in 2026. Amazon expects about $220 billion of cash capex for 2026 and Meta expects $135 billion to $145 billion, according to their third quarter results.

Why are PCs and servers getting more expensive?

AI servers are absorbing memory supply. TrendForce expects conventional DRAM contract prices to rise another 10 to 15% in the fourth quarter of 2026, and IDC expects PC shipments to fall 11.3% in 2026 while PC market value still grows 1.6% because of higher prices.

Are companies increasing IT budgets?

Most planned to. In the Spiceworks State of IT survey, 64% of companies planned to raise IT budgets in 2025 and overall spending was expected to grow 9%, but 92% also planned cost savings. In Flexera's 2026 cloud survey, 17% of respondents had exceeded their public cloud budget in the past year.

Methodology note

We used market forecasts from Gartner, IDC and Forrester for totals and segments, TrendForce and Dell'Oro Group for hardware prices and data center capex, Synergy Research Group for cloud revenue and capex, SEC filings and earnings releases from Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and NVIDIA, and surveys from Spiceworks, Flexera and CloudZero for company-level budgets and costs. Gartner, Forrester and IDC define IT, technology and ICT spending differently, so their totals are not additive or directly comparable. Forecasts are revised every quarter; we cite the newest public release available on November 4, 2026, and show Gartner's October 2025 forecast only to illustrate the revision. Survey figures are self-reported plans or estimates from the stated samples, and the Spiceworks and CloudZero figures describe 2025 because newer editions had not published results. Every quote is re-fetched from the source by our checker. See how we rank and verify.

Sources

  1. 1Alphabet: Alphabet Announces Third Quarter 2026 Results (Exhibit 99.1, Form 8-K)
  2. 2Amazon: Amazon.com Announces Third Quarter Results
  3. 3CloudZero: The State Of AI Costs In 2025
  4. 4Dell'Oro Group: Data Center Capex Grew 92 Percent in 2Q 2026, Driven by Surging AI Demand and Memory Costs
  5. 5Flexera: Flexera 2026 State of the Cloud Report
  6. 6Forrester: Forrester's 2027 Technology And Security Predictions: AI Will Account For 20% Of All Business Technology Spend
  7. 7Gartner: Gartner Forecasts Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 15% in 2027, Totaling $7.35 Trillion
  8. 8Gartner: Gartner Forecasts Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 9.8% in 2026, Exceeding $6 Trillion For the First Time
  9. 9Gartner: Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 49.5% in 2026
  10. 10IDC: Global ICT Spend to Reach $4 Trillion in 2026, Driven by Accelerated AI Platform Investments in Aerospace and Defense
  11. 11IDC: European AI Spending to Reach $290 Billion by 2029, Driven by Banking, Software, and Agentic AI Adoption
  12. 12IDC: IDC: Asia/Pacific AI and GenAI Spending to Reach $370 Billion by 2029, Growing 5x
  13. 13IDC: IDC Cuts 2026 PC Outlook to -11.3% as Memory Shortages and Supply Chain Disruptions Persist Into 2027
  14. 14IDC: Global Security Spend to Exceed $300 Billion in 2026 as the Adoption of AI-Driven Security Platforms Gains Momentum
  15. 15Meta Platforms: Meta Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results (Exhibit 99.1, Form 8-K)
  16. 16Microsoft: Microsoft Corporation Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026
  17. 17NVIDIA: NVIDIA Announces Financial Results for Second Quarter Fiscal 2027 (Exhibit 99.1, Form 8-K)
  18. 18Spiceworks: The 2025 State of IT
  19. 19Synergy Research Group: Annual Revenues from Key Cloud and Digital Services to Pass $5 Trillion in 2031
  20. 20Synergy Research Group: Justifying the Explosive Growth in Hyperscale CAPEX
  21. 21TrendForce: AI Server Demand Sustains Memory Contract Price Increases in 4Q26, While Consumer-Side Pressure Persists
  22. 22TrendForce: Rising Costs Threaten Notebook Demand in 2027, Raising Risks of Shipment Declines and Price Increases
  23. 23TrendForce: CSP CapEx Projected to Exceed US$1.5 Trillion in 2027, with AI Server Revenue Growing Over 90% YoY

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Rankozo. (2026, November 4). IT Spending Statistics 2026. https://rankozo.com/it-spending-statistics

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