Global data centre infrastructure, now central to the functioning of the digital economy, is highly concentrated in a small number of countries. The U.S. alone hosts over 4,200 data centres, far exceeding any other market, with Europe forming a dense secondary cluster. Together, North America and Europe account for the majority of global capacity, underscoring how firmly digital infrastructure remains anchored in advanced economies.

Asia represents the only region outside the West with meaningful scale, but its footprint is far from evenly distributed. A handful of hubs, primarily China, India, Japan and South Korea, account for 60% of regional capacity, supported by strong investment and rapid expansion in hyperscale facilities. While the region is growing quickly, this growth is concentrated in select markets rather than broadly distributed.

By contrast, Africa remains structurally underbuilt. The continent accounts for roughly 2% of global data centre capacity, with infrastructure heavily concentrated in South Africa. Although investment is accelerating and capacity is expected to expand significantly over the coming decade, this growth is occurring from a very low base.

Looking ahead, global data centre capacity is projected to rise steadily through 2030, driven by demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital services. However, this expansion is unlikely to materially alter the underlying geographic imbalance. As a result, control over the infrastructure that underpins the digital economy remains highly concentrated, with significant implications for global competitiveness, data sovereignty and economic development.