Apac data centre asset values to exceed US$950 bil by 2030: Cushman & Wakefield
A 115% surge in pre-leasing between 1H2025 and 1H2026 signals robust occupier demand, potentially supporting investment and supply expansion in AI-ready facilities.
Asia Pacific operational data centre asset values are projected to exceed US$950 billion by 2030, requiring over US$280 billion in development capital expenditure.
Body
The Asia Pacific (Apac) data centre sector is set to rapidly expand over four years, underpinned by AI adoption, cloud expansion and digital transformation across the region. By 2030, operational asset values in the sector are projected to exceed US$950 billion ($1.2 trillion), according to research by Cushman & Wakefield.
In its 2026 Asia Pacific Data Centre Investment Landscape report, published in August, the firm highlighted that Apac currently accounts for only 22% of global operational data centre capacity, despite making up over 60% of the world’s population. As a result, the region has a “substantial runway for future infrastructure investment and development”.
Cushman & Wakefield projects Apac data centre capacity to increase 2.7 times by 2030, with a development pipeline of 26,455 megawatts (MW). The region currently has an operational capacity of 15,135 MW.
Read also: Apac posts US$105 bil real estate investments in 1H2026 as market hits turning point: Colliers
Amid this rapid expansion, Cushman & Wakefield estimates over US$280 billion in capital expenditure will be required to support the sector’s development pipeline through to 2030. “The imbalance between demand and available infrastructure continues to create significant opportunities for capital deployment,” comments Pritesh Swamy, the firm’s data centre group Apac head of research and consulting.
Of the projected capital expenditure, nearly 77%, or US$215 billion, is expected to be concentrated in a select group of markets comprising Japan, Malaysia, Australia, India and Indonesia.
Greg Marsden, Cushman & Wakefield’s head of global capital for Apac and EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa), notes that Apac continues to draw strong capital inflows, with US$43 billion in publicly announced debt financing raised by data centre operators in 2025 and 2026.
“What we're seeing is growing conviction among institutional investors that data centres are no longer a niche alternative asset class but a critical component of modern infrastructure portfolios,” he says.
That conviction comes, in part, from Apac’s strong data centre occupier demand. Pre-leasing volumes surged 115% between 1H2025 and 1H2026, as operators and hyperscale customers secured future capacity.
At the same time, AI requirements are also shaping capital investment in Apac data centres. According to Cushman & Wakefield, AI-ready facilities — which need advanced cooling technologies — require 25% to 25% higher capital expenditure compared to traditional data centres.
Read also: Apac commercial real estate momentum still intact, Singapore among standout markets: MSCI
Consequently, investors are increasingly evaluating assets based on their ability to support next-gen computing workloads. “Investors are increasingly prioritising assets and markets that can provide long-term power availability, scalability and the capability to support future AI requirements,” says Andrew Green, Cushman & Wakefield’s head of data centre group for Apac.