The global data centre sector is poised for continued unprecedented expansion, with capacity expected to nearly double from 103 GW to 200 GW by 2030, according to real estate and investment management company JLL’s newly released 2026 Global Data Centre Outlook report.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the data centre landscape, and JLL anticipates AI workloads will represent half of all data centre capacity by 2030. Despite rapid growth, the sector’s fundamentals remain healthy, and property metrics do not indicate a bubble.

The explosive growth will require up to $3 trillion (£2.2 trillion) in total investment over the next five years, including $1.2 trillion (£887 billion) in real estate asset value creation and approximately $870 billion (£643 billion) in new debt financing, marking an infrastructure investment supercycle.

Global Division President, Data Centres and Critical Environments at JLL, Matt Landek, said:
“We’re witnessing the most significant transformation in data centre infrastructure since the original cloud migration.

“The sheer scale of demand is extraordinary. Hyperscalers are allocating $1 trillion (£739 billion) for data centre spend between 2024 and 2026 alone, while supply constraints and four-year grid connection delays are creating a perfect storm that’s fundamentally reshaping how we approach development, energy sourcing, and market strategy.”

AI workloads could represent 50 per cent of all data centre capacity by 2030, compared to approximately 25 per cent in 2025. JLL anticipates a critical inflection point in 2027 when AI inference workloads will overtake training as the dominant requirement.

“We’re witnessing the emergence of an entirely new infrastructure paradigm where AI training facilities demand 10x the power density and command 60 per cent lease rate premiums over traditional data centres,” explained Andrew Batson, Global Head of Data Centre Research at JLL. “Beyond the economics, AI has become a matter of national strategic importance, driving countries to develop domestic capabilities through sovereign infrastructure investments that represent an $8 billion (£6 billion) CapEx opportunity by 2030.”

AI chips are projected to grow their total revenue share from 20 per cent to 50 per cent of the semiconductor market by 2030, with custom silicon expected to capture 15 per cent market share as hyperscalers develop their own processors. The future may include emerging technologies like neuromorphic computing, which can facilitate ultra-efficient inference tasks, thereby reducing infrastructure demands and enabling data centres to be more power-efficient.

The report noted that the Americas will maintain its position as the largest data centre region, representing about 50 per cent of global capacity and achieving the fastest growth rate through 2030. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is projected to expand from 32 GW to 57 GW, while Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) will add 13 GW of new supply.

Each region faces distinct market dynamics that will shape development strategies. In APAC, colocation is leading growth, while on-premise capacity is projected to decline six per cent as enterprises continue cloud migration. EMEA’s growth forecast is fuelled by strong demand from hyperscalers, with growth concentrated in established European hubs like London, Frankfurt, and Paris, alongside emerging Middle Eastern markets pursuing digital transformation strategies. The U.S. continues to drive most activity in the Americas, accounting for about 90 per cent of regional capacity.