Worldwide investment in information technology is projected to exceed $6 trillion for the first time in 2026, according to new estimates from research firm Gartner. Global spending is expected to reach approximately $6.08 trillion, reflecting 9.8% growth over 2025.
As per John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, the spending slowdown seen early in 2025 is easing, with technology budgets expected to rebound significantly before the end of the year. Generative AI remains a central driver of this trend. Enterprises are increasingly adopting AI-enhanced software, and the integration of advanced features is pushing overall software costs upward. As a result, both software pricing and the cost of added functionality continue to climb.
While spending is rising overall, growth patterns are uneven across market segments. Devices and data center systems are expected to see a stronger recovery compared with software and IT services, particularly in industries where technology purchases are closely tied to policy or regulatory developments.
Table 1. Worldwide IT Spending Forecast (Millions of U.S. Dollars)
| 2025 Spending | 2025 Growth (%) | 2026 Spending | 2026 Growth (%) | ||
| Data Center Systems | 489,451 | 46.8 | 582,446 | 19 | |
| Devices | 783,157 | 8.4 | 836,275 | 6.8 | |
| Software | 1,244,308 | 11.9 | 1,433,037 | 15.2 | |
| IT Services | 1,719,340 | 6.5 | 1,869,269 | 8.7 | |
| Communications Services | 1,304,165 | 3.8 | 1,363,058 | 4.5 | |
| Overall IT | 5,540,421 | 10 | 6,084,085 | 9.8 |
Source: Gartner (October 2025)
AI-ready devices fuel demand
A surge in mobile phone and PC shipments through the first half of 2025 has supported a strong rebound in the devices category. Spending on devices is expected to reach $783 billion in 2025, driven partly by growing interest in AI-enabled hardware. More than $30 billion in added spending is attributed to AI-capable devices alone. Because much of this demand has been accelerated, growth in 2026 is projected to be slightly slower.
AI infrastructure push elevates Data Center Investment
The rapid build-out of AI infrastructure continues to boost demand for data center hardware, particularly AI-optimized server racks. However, server shipment growth remains constrained due to ongoing supply limitations, creating pressure across cloud and compute markets.
The outlook for 2026 signals a milestone year for the global IT ecosystem. The continued adoption of AI-driven technologies, growing hardware upgrades, and expanding data center capacity are collectively pushing worldwide spending to historic levels.
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