Worldwide IT spending is expected to reach $6.15 trillion in 2026, up 10.8% from 2025, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.
“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 optimised for AI workloads.”
Server spending is projected to accelerate in 2026, growing 36.9% year-over-year. Total data centre spending is expected to increase 31.7%, surpassing $650 billion in 2026, up from nearly $500 billion the previous year (see Table 1).
Table 1. Worldwide IT Spending Forecast (Millions of U.S. Dollars)
|
2025 Spending |
2025 Growth (%) |
2026 Spending |
2026 Growth (%) |
|
| Data Centre Systems | 496,231 | 48.9 | 653,403 | 31.7 |
| Devices | 788,335 | 9.1 | 836,417 | 6.1 |
| Software | 1,249,509 | 11.5 | 1,433,633 | 14.7 |
| IT Services | 1,717,590 | 6.4 | 1,866,856 | 8.7 |
| Communications Services |
1,303,651 |
3.8 |
1,365,184 |
4.7 |
| Overall IT | 5,555,316 | 10.3 | 6,155,493 | 10.8 |
Source: Gartner (February 2026)
Software Spending Shows Second-Highest Growth Potential Despite Lower Revision
Software spending growth for 2026 has been slightly revised downward to 14.7%, from 15.2% for both application and infrastructure software.
“Despite the modest revision, total software spending will remain above $1.4 trillion,” said Lovelock. “Projections for generative AI (GenAI) model spending in 2026 remain unchanged, with growth expected at 80.8%. GenAI models continue to experience strong growth, and their share of the software market is expected to rise by 1.8% in 2026.”
Device Growth Expected to Slow in 2026
Shipments of mobile phones, PCs, and tablets continue to grow steadily. Total spending on devices is projected to reach $836 billion in 2026. However, market-demand constraints will slow growth to 6.1% in 2026.
“This slowdown is largely due to rising memory prices, which are increasing average selling prices and discouraging device replacements,” said Lovelock. “Additionally, higher memory costs are causing shortages in the lower end of the market, where profit margins are thinner. These factors are contributing to more muted growth in device shipments.”
