Construction Spending

Data center construction grows 64.5% as other building sectors shrink, analysis shows

An economic essay by writer Derek Thompson, citing Harvard economist Jason Furman's data, shows data center construction spending surged 64.5 percent over the past year while nearly every other construction category declined. New energy infrastructure grew 4.1 percent to support AI-driven electricity demand, while manufacturing construction fell nearly 24 percent, education fell 12.6 percent, and healthcare and retail construction each dropped about 10.1 percent.

futurism.com · 2026-10-11

Data Center Construction Spending Reaches $85 Billion, a New Record

According to the Census Bureau, private data center construction expenditure surged over 73% year-over-year in August, reaching nearly $85 billion annually. This marks the fastest growth since April 2025 and positions data centers as over 63% of all private office construction, surpassing general office projects for the first time since 2014. The data excludes spending on racks or servers and does not specify reasons for the increase.

tomshardware.com · 2026-10-06