Cushman & Wakefield reports 36% surge in EMEA data centre capacity in H1 2026 

Operational data centre capacity across EMEA reached 12.1GW in H1 2026, an increase of more than 36% from 8.9GW in Q2 2024, according to Cushman & Wakefield’s latest update. 

The growth reflects sustained demand from cloud computing and artificial intelligence, while also showing that power availability, permitting and grid constraints are increasingly determining where new development can be delivered.

The region now has 3.8GW under construction and 14.5GW in planning, creating a committed pipeline of 18.3GW, up more than 34% year‑on‑year. Although the FLAPD markets of Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin still account for around 43% of operational supply, their share of future development is gradually declining as investment expands into selected Nordic and Southern European locations with faster access to power and suitable sites.

London remains EMEA’s largest market, with 1.38GW of operational capacity and a pipeline of 1.77GW. Paris has overtaken Dublin to become the region’s third‑largest market by total capacity, while Helsinki has surpassed 1GW, joining the region’s “Powerhouse” category.

The Nordic region continues to gain momentum, now hosting 2.1GW of operational capacity, up 20% year‑on‑year, with more than 3GW in planning. Helsinki is among the fastest‑growing markets, supported by abundant low‑carbon power, land availability and rising demand for AI‑focused infrastructure. Madrid, Oslo, Barcelona and Zaragoza are also attracting increased investor interest due to scalable sites and favourable power‑delivery prospects.

Despite wider concerns about a potential AI‑driven infrastructure bubble, Cushman & Wakefield finds little evidence of overbuilding across EMEA. Vacancy rates remain below 10% in most operational facilities, and significant proportions of new capacity are pre‑leased before completion. AI‑related demand is increasingly influencing both hyperscale and colocation strategies, with growing investment in specialist high‑density computing environments.

Beyond Europe, the Middle East now hosts 972MW of operational capacity, led by Abu Dhabi and Dubai, while Africa has reached 469MW, with Johannesburg remaining the continent’s largest market. Government‑led digitalisation initiatives, sovereign cloud strategies and AI investment programmes continue to support long‑term growth across both regions.