The global data centre sector has emerged from a pivotal year in digital infrastructure, underpinned by continuous cloud migration and digitisation, combined with the proliferation of artificial intelligence, super-charging demand for data centre infrastructure. Across the globe, real estate transaction volumes, comprising single-asset-sales and development site acquisitions, totalled $16.5 billion in 2025 with development site acquisition volumes in particular surging 12.4% on 2024 volumes, the highest annual investment tally to date. Similarly, Knight Frank’s bespoke data centre appraisals valued the global stabilised data centre market at $1.95 trillion, a 39.3% increase on 2024. Looking ahead, 48GW is expected to be delivered between 2026 and 2029, representing a 77% increase in global supply volumes. Within this, AI supply volumes are set to expand from 8GW to 27GW, growing to 24.5% of total live IT.
