PwC Forecasts $31.6 Trillion Global Data Center Spending by 2050

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP predicts that global data center spending will reach $31.6 trillion by 2050 to support the expansion of artificial intelligence. The firm notes that this figure could rise to $50 trillion if AI adoption accelerates beyond its central forecast.

The United States is expected to capture nearly half of this investment at $15.1 trillion, followed by the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Most expenditures will target hardware replacements, such as GPUs and servers, rather than land or construction. PwC worked with Oxford Economics to model capital expenditure across 46 countries and territories.

While demand is high, the firm indicates that power availability, semiconductor supply chains, and data sovereignty requirements will determine how investment is distributed regionally. Meanwhile, Data Center Watch reports that local opposition over environmental and societal concerns blocked or delayed at least 75 projects worth $130 billion in the first quarter of 2026.