Hyperscaler spending patterns raise data center capacity growth

A new Synergy Research report finds that operational capacity is accelerating, with data centers expanding to accommodate cloud and AI services.
Dec. 23, 2025
3 min read

Key Highlights

  • Hyperscale data centers operated by major providers have increased to 1,297 globally, tripling since 2018.
  • AI advancements, notably ChatGPT, have significantly boosted growth metrics across data center openings, capacity, and revenues.
  • Hyperscale capital expenditure surged by nearly 180% in Q3 2025, enabling a 170% increase in operational capacity each quarter.
  • The US maintains a dominant 55% share of global hyperscale capacity, with Amazon, Microsoft, and Google leading the market.
  • The pipeline of future hyperscale data centers now stands at 770 facilities, indicating continued rapid expansion.

AI-driven infrastructure investments, according to new third-quarter Synergy Research Group data, have tripled the number of large data centers operated by hyperscale providers since 2018. 

Today, the number of large data centers operated by hyperscale providers has climbed to 1,297 worldwide. Between 2018 and 2025, the research firm's total operational capacity has increased more than fourfold as average data center size continues to rise.

Synergy Research said that while the hyperscale market has always seen strong growth, the advent of ChatGPT in late 2022 has seen several key metrics rise, driven by aggressive AI initiatives.

“In Q3, nearly all key hyperscale year-on-year growth metrics increased,” said John Dinsdale, a Chief Analyst at Synergy Research Group. “Growth rates rose for data center openings, megawatts of operational capacity, data center-related capex, company revenues, and cloud-specific revenues.”

Hyperscaler capex rise

Since 2022, quarterly hyperscale operator capital spending has accelerated, increasing by nearly 180% to $142 billion in the third quarter of 2025.

The research firm said hyperscale capital spending enabled a comparable 170% increase in the amount of operational capacity added each quarter. At the same time, AI-driven expansion has also increased the US share of worldwide hyperscale operational capacity.

From a geographic perspective, the U.S. remains the dominant market, accounting for 55% of global hyperscale operational capacity, up from 52% three years ago.  

Amazon, Microsoft, and Google remain dominant

Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have the most significant data center footprints. In addition to their dominant position in the U.S. market, each company in this trio operates multiple data centers in many other countries.

These three providers alone now account for 58% of all hyperscale data center capacity.

Meta, Alibaba, Tencent, Oracle, Apple, ByteDance, and other relatively minor hyperscale operators follow the top three in ranking.

However, these providers aren’t going to be sitting pat. Synergy noted that the known pipeline of future hyperscale data centers currently stands at 770 facilities. These facilities are at various stages of planning, construction, or fit-out.

Dinsdale said, “We have also seen a substantial expansion in the known future pipeline.”

“Based on this analysis, Synergy has revised its five-year outlook upward for several core metrics,” he said. “The firm now expects total hyperscale data center capacity to double in just over twelve quarters, underscoring the scale and speed at which AI-driven infrastructure investment is reshaping global cloud-related markets."

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About the Author

Sean Buckley

Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategy of Lightwave across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products.

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