Strong Growth Driven by Sustained Momentum Across AI Infrastructure and Software

Worldwide IT spending is expected to reach $6.31 trillion in 2026, up 13.5% from 2025, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc., a business and technology insights company.

“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, which in turn is driving increased demand for high‑performance compute. This dynamic is creating meaningful growth opportunities for companies delivering AI‑optimized processors, accelerators, and enabling technologies.”

Data center systems spending is set to see the largest growth in 2026 at 55.8%. IT services, including application implementation and managed services, infrastructure implementation and managed services and IaaS, is forecast to see the largest overall spending, surpassing $1.87 billion in 2026 (see Table 1).

Table 1. Worldwide IT Spending Forecast (Millions of U.S. Dollars)

“Robust demand combined with supply constraints has resulted in record price increases for high-bandwidth memory. This surge positions the memory segment as a lucrative area for semiconductor manufacturers,” said Lovelock. “These trends collectively make AI infrastructure the most attractive segment for capitalizing on the robust expansion in IT spending.”

Upward Revised Projections Driven by AI Infrastructure, Software and Device Hardware

Compared to Gartner’s previous forecast, Gartner is predicting a stronger‑than‑anticipated growth in global IT spending, driven by sustained momentum across AI infrastructure, software, and IaaS. These shifts are reinforcing a multi‑speed IT market, with hyperscaler purchases and AI‑centric software segments significantly outperforming more traditional categories.

Hyperscale cloud demand is fueling a sharp increase in server and data center investment, with spending on data center systems projected to surpass $788 billion in 2026 with growth accelerating well beyond prior expectations. At the same time, GenAI continues to drive outsized gains in software, particularly in GenAI model development, where spending growth is forecast to more than double year-over-year.

Device spending is also rising, reaching an estimated $856 billion, though growth is being moderated by higher memory costs that are lifting average selling prices and constraining replacement cycles in lower‑margin segments.

“Together, these dynamics highlight a widening divergence across IT markets, as AI infrastructure and GenAI software see substantial upward revisions while device growth reflects ongoing cost and pricing pressures,” said Lovelock.

Gartner’s IT spending forecast methodology relies heavily on rigorous analysis of the sales by over a thousand vendors across the entire range of IT products and services. Gartner uses primary research techniques, complemented by secondary research sources, to build a comprehensive database of market size data on which to base its forecast.

The Gartner quarterly IT spending forecast delivers a unique perspective on IT spending across the hardware, software, IT services and telecommunications segments. These reports help Gartner clients understand market opportunities and challenges. The most recent IT spending forecast research is available to Gartner clients in Gartner Market Databook, 1Q26.

More information on the forecast can be found in the complimentary Gartner webinar IT Spending in 2026: Pruning the AI Garden.

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