Global IT spending set to surpass USD 6.15 trillion in 2026: Gartner

Globally, IT spending is projected to reach USD 6.15 trillion in 2026. It is expected to increase by 10.8% from 2025, according to the latest data released by Gartner. The forecast indicates that, despite localised economic concerns, the intelligence cycle is forcing a massive reallocation of corporate budgets towards data centre systems and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The data centre surge

The most aggressive growth is currently localised in the data centre systems segment. The spending in this category is expected to increase by 31.7% year-over-year, surpassing the USD 650 billion mark.

Within this segment, server spending is the primary engine, projected to accelerate by 36.9% as organisations build out foundations for AI training and inference.

Software resilience and GenAI momentum

While Gartner slightly revised its 2026 software growth forecast downward to 14.7% from a previous 15.2%, the segment remains the second- fastest growing category. The total software spending is expected to exceed USD 1.4 trillion.

At the same time, projections for GenAI model spending remain unchanged, standing with a staggering 80.8% growth expected in 2026. As GenAI permeates the enterprise, its share of the total software market is expected to rise by 1.8% this year. It indicates that organisations are increasingly moving from experimental pilots to full-scale operational intelligence.

Why is device growth cooling?

In contrast to the infrastructure boom, the consumer and office device market faces a slowdown. While spending on mobile phones, PCs, and tablets will reach USD 836 billion, with a moderate growth rate of 6.1%.

This declaration is a result of rising memory prices. As memory manufacturers prioritise high-bandwidth memory for lucrative AI data centres, the supply for standard consumer electronics has tightened. Higher component costs are driving up average selling prices, which is ultimately discouraging both individuals and enterprises from frequent replacement cycles.

The road to 2030

As global IT spending crosses the USD 6 trillion threshold a year ahead of previous projections, the focus of the industry is shifting toward ‘sovereign’ and ‘private AI’. Hyperscale cloud providers are no longer the only ones buying; sovereign nations and large-scale enterprises are building their own localised AI foundations to manage data privacy and regulatory requirements.

Here, Gartner has suggested that the foundational layers built in 2026 will determine the competitive landscape for the remainder of the decade. And, for IT leaders, the challenge is no longer finding the budget for AI, but securing the physical hardware and energy required to run it.