Structure Research Releases 2026 Global Colocation and Market Tiering Reports
Structure Research has released two reports designed to be read together: the 2026 Global Data Centre Colocation & Interconnection Report and the free-to-download Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026 Report.
The Global Colocation report estimates the global colocation installed base at 63.8GW of operational critical IT capacity in 2026E, generating US$151.9 billion in combined colocation and interconnection revenue. These figures are forecast to reach 213.1GW and US$458.7 billion by 2031E.
Two Reports, One Market View
The reports provide two different but related views of the global data centre market.
The Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026 Report shows where individual markets sit relative to others using common metrics and fixed classification rules. The Global Data Centre Colocation & Interconnection Report provides the quantitative foundation, showing how large each market is, how quickly it is expected to grow, the demand and facility types driving it and how providers are positioned.
The free Market Tiering report uses the regional and metro data underpinning Global Colocation as the foundation of its commercial-colocation analysis and adds hyperscale self-build, cloud-region, AI deployment, power and connectivity evidence.
101 Data Centre Markets Compared
Market Tiering scores each market from zero to five across 16 metrics and four axes: commercial colocation; hyperscale cloud and self-build; AI market maturity; and connectivity and network gravity.
Commercial colocation carries a 40% weighting, hyperscale cloud and self-build 30%, AI market maturity 15%, and connectivity and network gravity 15%.
Northern Virginia ranks first overall, followed by Tokyo, Singapore, London and Sydney.
Of the 101 markets assessed, 21 are classified as Tier 1, 29 as Tier 2, 30 as Tier 3 and 21 as Tier 4. Asia-Pacific has both the largest Tier 1 cohort and the largest Tier 4 cohort.
The framework also distinguishes operating capacity from forward commitments. Construction status and capital at risk are scored, while announcements are not. Financed campuses under construction, signed power allocations and groundbroken programmes count, while ambitions without a tenant, capital or power contract are carried at zero.
What Sits Beneath the Tiers
The Global Colocation report provides:
- Global, regional and sub-regional market sizing by operational critical IT capacity and revenue from 2021 to 2031E, with interconnection reported separately.
- Forecasts for more than 90 tracked metro markets, together with maturity indices comparing current market maturity and forecast growth.
- Provider market share and competitive positioning for the top 20 providers globally and top 15 across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific.
- Segmentation by buyer class, deal-size band and facility density, with workload analysed as an overlay.
- Regional analysis of AI demand, supply pipelines, power constraints, permitting and broader colocation-market dynamics.
“A tier tells you where a market sits, but not what is happening inside it,” said Jabez Tan, Head of Research at Structure Research. “The free Market Tiering report provides the comparative map across 101 markets. The Global Colocation report provides the capacity, growth, provider and demand data needed to understand why each market sits where it does and how that position could change. The two reports are designed to be used together.”
Used together, the reports provide service providers, investors, lenders and end users with a basis for site selection, investment, competitive positioning and market-entry decisions.
Access Both Reports
Download the free Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026 Report.
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