Gartner Forecasts IT Spending in Europe to Grow 8.7% in 2025

• IT Services Spending Related to AI in Europe to Grow 21% in 2025
• Organizations in Europe Will Shift from Buying GenAI Solutions to Implementing Partner Solutions Through 2025

IT spending in Europe is projected to total $1.28 trillion in 2025, an increase of 8.7% from 2024, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc. IT spending in Europe is on pace to reach $1.18 trillion by the end of 2024.

“In 2024, the surge of building out AI-related infrastructure by technology providers is driving high levels of spending on data center systems in Europe,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “CIOs in Europe will continue investing in public cloud end-user spending, which is estimated to reach $123 billion in 2024, and grow their security spending, projected to reach $47 billion in 2024.”

Gartner analysts are exploring IT spending priorities for IT leaders and CIOs during Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, taking place here through today.

Spending Priorities in 2025

European businesses that have recognized IT’s value during the pandemic are set to significantly boost IT spending in 2025 to stay competitive and grow revenue. Aided by a surging interest for generative AI (GenAI) solutions, CIOs in Europe will drive their IT budgets into an era of high growth and innovation. 2025 is poised to set a record as the highest growth rate in IT spending in a single year in Europe since the post-pandemic surge in 2021 (see Table 1).

Table 1. Europe IT Spending Forecast (Millions of U.S. Dollars)

Source: Gartner (November 2024)

“The limited success of many pilots and proofs of concept (POCs) in 2024, will push European organizations to shift from building their own GenAI solutions to buying and implementing partner solutions in 2025,” said Lovelock.

Gartner estimates spending on IT services related to AI in Europe will grow from $78 billion in 2024 to $94 billion in 2025. 

Data Center Trends in Europe

End-user spending on servers in Europe is estimated to grow 25% in 2024 due to increased demand for AI-optimized servers. Spending on servers will continue to grow in 2025 but at a slower pace (11%). “Europe has seen a remarkable 46% increase in server spending by technology providers in 2024. In 2025, technology companies will continue building out the infrastructure needed for training GenAI models today and inferencing them in the future,” said Lovelock.

Gartner’s IT spending forecast methodology relies heavily on rigorous analysis of the sales by over a thousand vendors across the entire range of IT products and services. Gartner uses primary research techniques, complemented by secondary research sources, to build a comprehensive database of market size data on which to base its forecast.

The Gartner quarterly IT spending forecast delivers a unique perspective on IT spending across the hardware, software, IT services and telecommunications segments. These reports help Gartner clients understand market opportunities and challenges. The most recent IT spending forecast research is available to Gartner clients in “Gartner Market Databook, 3Q24 Update.”  

Learn more in the complimentary Gartner webinar IT Spending Forecast, 3Q24 Update: 2025, The Trough is Coming.

About Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo

Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo is the world's most important gathering for CIOs and other IT executives. IT executives rely on these conferences to learn how to amplify the impact of the technology, insights and trends shaping the future of IT and business. Follow news and updates from the conferences on X using #GartnerSYM, and on the Gartner Newsroom.

Upcoming dates and locations for Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo include:

Kochi, India from November 11-13.