Overview
- PwC published its Global Data Centre Outlook on September 2, 2026, forecasting a central-case $31.6 trillion of cumulative global data‑center spending through 2050 and an accelerated scenario up to $50 trillion.
- The United States is expected to capture the largest share, about $15.1 trillion, while annual data‑center capex is projected to rise from roughly $800 billion this year to about $1.8 trillion by 2050.
- PwC says most future spending will be recurring ICT hardware refreshes rather than one‑time construction, with ICT equipment projected to account for the bulk of investment by mid‑century.
- The report flags three binding constraints on where money flows: reliable large‑scale power supply, semiconductor availability including export controls that could cut forecasts by about 20 percent, and local community consent.
- Industry and some officials are pressing to speed financing and buildout using metrics like Jensen Huang’s $50–60 billion per gigawatt framing while local opposition and grid limits have already delayed or blocked projects worth roughly $130 billion.