Stamford, Conn., April 22: Gartner, Inc. announced that worldwide IT spending is projected to reach $6.31 trillion in 2026, marking a 13.5% increase from 2025, according to its latest market forecast.
The report highlights a significant acceleration in investments driven by artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in infrastructure and high-performance computing systems.
“This latest forecast underscores the accelerating momentum in AI infrastructure and advanced memory,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “As AI workloads scale, data center investment is ramping rapidly, creating strong growth opportunities for AI-optimized processors, accelerators, and enabling technologies.”
AI Infrastructure Drives Market Expansion
Among all segments, data center systems are expected to witness the highest growth, projected to surge 55.8% in 2026, reaching nearly $788 billion. This growth is fueled by rising demand for hyperscale cloud infrastructure and AI workloads.
Meanwhile, IT services are forecast to remain the largest spending category, exceeding $1.87 trillion, driven by increasing adoption of cloud services, infrastructure implementation, and managed services.
Other key projections include:
- Software spending expected to grow 15.1%, supported by rapid expansion in AI and GenAI applications
- Devices spending projected to reach $856 billion, with growth moderated by rising memory costs
- Communications services anticipated to grow steadily at 4.8%
AI and GenAI Reshaping IT Priorities
The report notes that AI-led demand is creating a multi-speed IT market, where segments such as data centers and AI-driven software are significantly outperforming traditional IT categories.
Hyperscale cloud demand is accelerating investments in servers and data centers, while Generative AI (GenAI) is driving strong growth in software, particularly in model development and enterprise AI solutions.
“Robust demand combined with supply constraints has led to record price increases in high-bandwidth memory,” Lovelock added. “This makes AI infrastructure one of the most attractive segments for investment in the IT ecosystem.”
Market Outlook and Methodology
Gartner’s forecast reflects stronger-than-anticipated growth compared to previous projections, driven by sustained momentum in AI infrastructure, software, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).
The analysis is based on extensive research covering sales data from over a thousand vendors across IT hardware, software, services, and telecommunications sectors.
As organisations continue to prioritise digital transformation, AI is emerging as a central driver of enterprise strategy, reshaping how businesses allocate technology investments and scale operations globally.
Gartner’s insights continue to guide C-level executives and technology leaders in navigating evolving market dynamics and capitalising on emerging opportunities in the AI-driven economy.
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