Worldwide IT spending is projected to hit $6.31 trillion in 2026, up 13.5% from 2025, according to Gartner, a business and technology insights company, as demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and cloud services accelerates.
“This latest forecast underscores the accelerating momentum in AI infrastructure and advanced memory,” said John-David Lovelock, distinguished VP Analyst of Gartner. “As AI workloads scale, data center investment is ramping rapidly, which in turn is driving increased demand for high-performance compute.”
Gartner said its forecast is based on analysis of sales data from more than 1,000 IT vendors, supported by primary and secondary research to estimate global market size and trends.
Spending on data center systems is expected to post the fastest growth at 55.8%, with total investments projected to exceed $788 billion in 2026. The surge is linked to hyperscale cloud providers expanding capacity to support AI workloads and generative AI (GenAI) model training.
Lovelock said the shift is opening opportunities for companies producing AI-focused processors, accelerators, and related technologies.
IT services, which include application implementation, managed services, infrastructure support, and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), are forecast to remain the largest spending category, surpassing $1.87 trillion in 2026.
“Robust demand combined with supply constraints has resulted in record price increases for high-bandwidth memory,” Lovelock said. “This surge positions the memory segment as a lucrative area for semiconductor manufacturers. These trends collectively make AI infrastructure the most attractive segment for capitalizing on the robust expansion in IT spending.”
The updated forecast indicates stronger-than-expected growth compared to earlier projections, driven by sustained demand across AI infrastructure, enterprise software, and cloud platforms. According to Gartner, hyperscaler investments and AI-driven software segments are outperforming traditional IT categories, creating what it describes as a multi-speed market.
Generative AI is also driving sharp increases in software spending, particularly in AI model development, where growth is expected to more than double year over year.
Device spending is projected to reach $856 billion, although growth is slowing due to increasing memory costs. Higher component prices are increasing device costs and delaying replacement cycles, especially 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,” Lovelock said.