AI infrastructure set to channel $31.6 trillion into global data centers by 2050

PwC’s Global Data Centre Outlook 2026–50 forecasts global AI infrastructure capex reaching $31.6 trillion through 2050, with annual data-centre investment rising from about $0.8 trillion in 2026 to $1.8 trillion by 2050; the US would account for roughly 48% (~$15.1 trillion) of the total, APAC about $8.2 trillion (led by China and India), and Europe/Middle East gaining momentum via sovereign AI strategies. Investment is expected to accelerate as ICT equipment upgrades, electricity reliability, and factors like connectivity, security, policy certainty, and GPU access shape flows. Two scenarios show export controls could reduce totals to around $25.5 trillion by 2050, while greater digital sovereignty would shift investment geography rather than greatly shrink totals. The outlook is based on Oxford Economics modeling across 46 countries.