IT Spending Benchmarks 2026
Comprehensive IT spending data by industry and company size. Based on Deloitte and Flexera research, with Gartner for worldwide spending totals. Global IT spending: $6.37 trillion in 2026, up 14.2%.
IT spend benchmarking by industry: the short answer
To benchmark IT spend by industry, measure your IT budget as a percentage of revenue, then compare it to your sector. The cross-industry average is 5.49% of revenue (Deloitte, 2022 data), with most companies between 2% and 10%. Industry sets the band and company size shifts you within it. Ranked highest to lowest, IT spending as a percentage of revenue by industry:
7-10%
Financial services
6-9%
Healthcare
6-9%
Technology
4-7%
Professional services
4-7%
Media/entertainment
3-6%
E-commerce/retail
3-6%
Education
3-5%
Logistics/transport
2-5%
Manufacturing
2-4%
Non-profit
Company size splits each band further: see the by industry detail, the by company size breakdown, or the full industry x size matrix below.
Sources: Deloitte Global Technology Leadership Study for the cross-industry percentage of revenue, Flexera State of Tech Spend Report for the by-industry figures, and Gartner's published forecast for worldwide IT spending totals. Company-size and per-employee figures are this site's model, not published data. Gartner IT Key Metrics Data, Avasant and IDC publish deeper benchmarks; those are paid products we do not hold and do not reproduce. Compiled August 2026. Full methodology and source list.
$6.37T
Global IT Spending 2026
up 14.2% YoY (Gartner, Jul 2026)
5.49%
Average IT/Revenue Ratio
All industries, all sizes
+62.5%
Data Centre Growth
$822B in 2026
+47%
AI Spending Growth
To $2.59T (Gartner, May 2026)
IT Budget as % of Revenue: Industry x Company Size Matrix
| Industry | Startup (1-50) | SMB (51-250) | Mid-market (251-1K) | Enterprise (1K-5K) | Large Enterprise (5K+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Services | 8-10% | 7-9% | 6-8% | 5-6% | 4-6% |
| Healthcare | 7-9% | 6.5-8% | 5.5-7% | 4.5-6% | 4-6% |
| Technology | 7-9% | 6.5-8% | 6-7.5% | 5-6% | 4-6% |
| E-commerce/Retail | 5-7% | 4-6% | 4-5% | 3.5-4.5% | 3-4% |
| Professional Services | 5.5-7% | 4.5-6% | 4-5.5% | 4-5% | 4-5% |
| Manufacturing | 4-6% | 3.5-5% | 3-4% | 2.5-3.5% | 2-3% |
| Education | 5-7% | 4-6% | 4-5% | 3.5-4.5% | 3-4% |
| Logistics/Transport | 4-6% | 3.5-5% | 3-4% | 2.5-3.5% | 2-3% |
| Media/Entertainment | 6-8% | 5-6.5% | 4.5-5.5% | 4-5% | 3.5-5% |
| Non-profit | 3.5-5% | 3-4.5% | 2.5-3.5% | 2-3% | 2-2.5% |
Global IT Spending by Segment 2025-2026
| Segment | 2025 Spend | 2026 Spend | Growth 2025-2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Centre Systems | $506B | $822B | +62.5% |
| Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) | $222B | $287B | +29.3% |
| Devices | $790B | $868B | +9.8% |
| Software | $1,271B | $1,468B | +15.5% |
| IT Services | $1,492B | $1,570B | +5.3% |
| Communications Services | $1,296B | $1,354B | +4.4% |
| Overall IT | $5,577B | $6,369B | +14.2% |
Source: Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast, July 2026 press release. 2025 figures are Gartner's revised actuals from the same release. IaaS is listed as its own line by Gartner and is not folded into IT Services; the six segment rows sum to the Overall IT total.
IT Budget by Industry
Detailed breakdown for each vertical with cost drivers and priorities.
IT Budget by Company Size
Per-employee costs, team sizing, and priorities for each growth stage.
IT Spending Forecast 2026-2027
AI, data centres, security driving above-average budget growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
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