Data: Global IT Spending Projected to Reach $4.96T
Global IT spending is forecast to reach $4.96 trillion in 2026, according to a new report from HG Insights. The forecast highlights accelerating investment in AI-driven infrastructure as a key driver of enterprise spending priorities. The report also includes, for the first time, intelligence on spending by small and medium-sized businesses.
- Other analyst firms offer even more bullish projections; for instance, Gartner forecasts that global IT spending will actually reach $6.15 trillion in 2026, representing a 10.8% increase from 2025. - Spending on data center systems is a primary driver of this growth, expected to surge by 31.7% in 2026 to exceed $650 billion as companies race to build out AI infrastructure. - Within the data center category, server spending is projected to accelerate, growing by 36.9% year-over-year, largely due to demand from hyperscale cloud providers for servers optimized for AI workloads. - The software market is also a significant contributor, with spending expected to surpass $1.43 trillion in 2026. Investment in Generative AI models is a standout, with a forecasted growth of 80.8%. - In the United States, technology spending is forecast to hit $2.9 trillion in 2026, with the media and information sector, fueled by hyperscaler capital expenditures, accounting for 43% of that growth. - Global spending on cloud infrastructure services is also surging, reaching $95.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025, a 22% year-over-year increase, driven by AI consumption and legacy system migrations. - In contrast to the rapid expansion in AI-related sectors, the devices market—including mobile phones, PCs, and tablets—is expected to see slower growth of 6.1% in 2026, reaching $836 billion.
