Global spending on technology is expected to total US$6.3 trillion in 2026, predicts Gartner

The increase in spending on software, equipment and services is driven by the need for high-performance processing for new computing models and applications. artificial intelligence (AI), says Gartner.

Spending on systems data center will show the biggest growth in the sector this year. Investments of US$788 billion are expected in data centers in 2026, an increase of 55.8% compared to the volume invested in 2025 (US$505.6 billion). Last year, contributions to the sector grew 51.6% on an annual basis.

Node Brazil investments in technology totaled US$67.8 billion in 2025, a growth of 18.5%, which was also leveraged by the demand for AI, according to a recent study by the Brazilian Association of Software Companies (Abes) and the consultancy IDC. For 2026, IDC projects a more modest growth of 5.3% in technology spending compared to last year.

This year, the majority of global technology investments are aimed at technology services ($1.87 trillion), including application implementation, infrastructure and managed services. Spending on services will grow 9% compared to 2025, according to Gartner.

Spending on software is expected to total US$1.44 trillion worldwide this year, which represents a growth of 15.1% compared to 2025. The amount dedicated to communication services will reach US$1.35 trillion, an increase of 4.8% on an annual basis.

The continued increase in memory chip prices, driven by suppliers’ focus on semiconductors for AI, will increase equipment spending by 8.2% in 2026, estimated at US$856.2 billion.

In addition to raising the prices of equipment and devices, the jump in memory chip prices is restricting replacement cycles for lower-margin equipment, notes the consultancy.