Top 5 Tech Markets In 2026 As Global Spending Hits $6 Trillion: Gartner
Gartner expects global IT spending will exceed $6 trillion in 2026 with all of the top five markets—from devices and software to IT services—witnessing growth. Here are the dollar figures.
Global spending on technology is expected to exceed $6.15 trillion in 2026, which would represent an 11 percent annual increase compared to $5.55 trillion in 2025.
IT research firm Gartner is projecting the five largest IT markets where businesses and users will spend the most money will be in: data centers, software, communication services, devices and IT services.
“AI infrastructure growth remains rapid despite concerns about an AI bubble, with spending rising across AI‑related hardware and software,” said John-David Lovelock, distinguished vice president analyst at Gartner in a statement.
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CRN breaks down the five largest tech spending markets in 2026, the projected growth rates and insight on the ever-growing IT industry.
No. 5: Data Center Systems
2026 Spending: $653 Billion
2025 Spending: $496 Billion
Annual Growth: 32 Percent
Worldwide spending on data center systems is expected to see the most significant growth increase in the entire tech industry with annual spending climbing 32 percent in 2026.
At No. 5, the data center systems market will generate $653 billion this year, with a 32 percent growth rate that’s more than double compared to any other market segment in 2026.
“Demand from hyperscale cloud providers continues to drive investment in servers optimized for AI workloads,” Lovelock said, adding that annual worldwide server spending will climb 37 percent in 2026.
Click through to read about 2026 spending projections for software, devices, IT and communications services markets.
No. 4: Devices
2026 Spending: $836 Billion
2025 Spending: $788 Billion
Annual Growth: 6 Percent
At No. 4, the devices market is expected to generate $836 billion in revenue globally this year, up from $788 billion in 2025.
Shipments of mobile phones, PCs, and tablets continue to grow steadily.
However, Gartner said market demand constraints will slow growth to about 6 percent in 2026.
“This slowdown is largely due to rising memory prices, which are increasing average selling prices and discouraging device replacements,” said Lovelock.
“Additionally, higher memory costs are causing shortages in the lower end of the market, where profit margins are thinner,” he said. “These factors are contributing to more muted growth in device shipments.”
No. 3: Communications Services
2026 Spending: $1.36 Trillion
2025 Spending: $1.30 Trillion
Annual Growth: 5 Percent
Ranking in at No. 3, communications services will generate $1.36 trillion in worldwide spending this year.
The global communications services market will climb a modest 5 percent in 2026 year over year, compared to $1.3 trillion last year.
With only a 5 percent annual growth rate, communications services—which include voice, data, and video technologies for businesses and users—represent the lowest growth rate year-over-year in Gartner’s report.
In 2025, the communications services market grew less than 4 percent annually compared to 2024.
No. 2: Software
2026 Spending: $1.43 Trillion
2025 Spending: $1.25 Trillion
Annual Growth: 15 Percent
The booming software market with spending continuing to grow at a fast pace in 2026 to $1.43 trillion, up approximately 15 percent compared to 2025.
“Total software spending will remain above $1.4 trillion,” said Lovelock. “Projections for generative AI model spending in 2026 remain unchanged, with growth expected at 81 precent.”
Gartner’s Lovelock said GenAI models continue to experience strong growth, “and their share of the software market is expected to rise by 1.8 percent in 2026.”
The 15 percent annual increase in worldwide spending represents the second largest growth market after data centers in 2026.
No. 1: IT Services
2026 Spending: $1.87 Trillion
2025 Spending: $1.72 Trillion
Annual Growth: 9 Percent
For years, the largest pool of global tech spending has been focused on buying IT services.
This year is no different, with worldwide spending on IT services will reach a record of $1.87 trillion this year.
This represents a 9 percent annual increase compared to $1.72 trillion in 2025.
Gartner said IT services around AI-related software and hardware will be in high demand this year.
In terms of the research firms’ methodology, Gartner’s spending forecast relies on 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.