The global expenditure on cloud infrastructure has skyrocketed by 35% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching a staggering $129 billion, according to analysts at Synergy Research Group. This marks the ninth consecutive quarter of growth, with artificial intelligence (AI) continuing to be the primary catalyst behind the expansion of data center ecosystems and the modernization of existing facilities.
In terms of figures, the market volume for this quarter stood at $128.6 billion, an increase of $35 billion compared to the same period in 2025. This growth rate is the highest recorded since the last quarter of 2021, when expenses were only 40% of current levels.
The leading cloud service providers in Q1 2026 remained Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, holding market shares of 28%, 21%, and 14%, respectively. These three giants together dominate 63% of the global market. Among the emerging players, CoreWeave, OpenAI, Oracle, Crusoe, Nebius, Anthropic, and ByteDance exhibited the highest growth. Notably, public IaaS and PaaS services contributed significantly to this increase, with a robust growth rate of 38% recorded for the quarter.
Geographically, all regions experienced notable growth, with India, Indonesia, Ireland, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia showing rates substantially exceeding global averages when measured in local currencies. The United States led in total cloud infrastructure spending, with a 37% increase in Q1. In Europe, the UK and Germany were the key players, while Ireland, Norway, and Poland saw the most significant growth rates.
Forecasts suggest that if the current trend continues, total cloud infrastructure spending could exceed $500 billion by the end of 2026. Analysts also highlight a shift in the competitive landscape, with non-cloud solutions increasingly gaining traction, now accounting for 5% of the overall cloud market. This surge in spending indicates a robust demand for cloud services, likely intensifying competition among established and new market players.
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