Global IT Spending to Hit $6 Trillion in 2026, Gartner Says

IT Spending Surges Past Historic $6 Trillion Mark

Worldwide IT spending is projected to reach $6.08 trillion in 2026, marking a significant 9.8% increase from 2025 and representing the first time global technology investments will exceed the $6 trillion threshold, according to the latest forecast from Gartner. This historic milestone underscores the accelerating pace of digital transformation across industries and the growing importance of technology infrastructure in the global economy.

AI Infrastructure and Devices Drive Unprecedented Growth

The forecast reveals that artificial intelligence infrastructure and AI-enabled devices are the primary drivers behind this explosive growth. Data center systems are expected to see the strongest momentum with a 19% increase to $582 billion in 2026, while software spending will grow 15.2% to reach $1.43 trillion. 'The race to build AI infrastructure has further increased demand and growth expectations for data center servers, especially AI-optimized server racks,' said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner.

Software and Services Lead Spending Categories

Software remains the largest and fastest-growing segment, with spending projected to reach $1.43 trillion in 2026. IT services follow closely with an 8.7% increase to $1.87 trillion, while communications services will grow 4.5% to $1.36 trillion. Devices spending, including AI-enabled smartphones and PCs, is expected to reach $836 billion with 6.8% growth. 'The cost of software is going up and both the cost of features and functionality is going up as well thanks to GenAI,' Lovelock noted, highlighting how generative AI integration is driving up enterprise software costs.

Market Recovery and Budget Flush Expected

Gartner analysts anticipate a significant budget flush before the end of 2025 as uncertainty from earlier quarters begins to alleviate. 'The uncertainty pause that began in the second quarter of 2025 started to alleviate in the third quarter and a significant budget flush is anticipated before the end of the year,' Lovelock explained. However, he cautioned that not all segments will experience this recovery uniformly, with vertical-specific software spending being more affected by policy changes and business uncertainties.

AI Devices Boost Consumer Technology Market

The availability of AI devices has boosted overall spending by more than $30 billion in 2025, with solid mobile phone and PC shipment data supporting strong growth projections. 'This growth in 2025 is mainly driven by stronger-than-expected spending on mobile phones,' Lovelock stated. 'The availability of AI devices has also boosted overall spending by more than $30 billion.' However, with replacement cycles unchanged, the stronger performance in 2025 will result in a lower relative growth rate for 2026 as demand has been pulled forward.

Global Implications and Industry Impact

The $6 trillion milestone represents a watershed moment for the global technology industry, reflecting the increasing integration of AI capabilities across all technology segments. According to additional Gartner research, global AI spending alone is projected to exceed $2 trillion in 2026, with AI-optimized servers expected to reach $329.5 billion and GenAI smartphones projected to hit $393.3 billion. This massive investment underscores the fundamental shift toward AI-driven business models and the critical role of technology infrastructure in maintaining competitive advantage.