---
title: "Big Data Statistics 2026: Data Growth, Spending, Platforms and Jobs"
date: 2025-11-18
author: "Supriya Gharat"
featured_image: "https://xtendedview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/big-data-statistics-data-growth-spending-platforms-jobs.jpg"
categories:
  - name: "Technology"
    url: "/category/technology.md"
tags:
  - name: "Statistics"
    url: "/tag/statistics.md"
---

# Big Data Statistics 2026: Data Growth, Spending, Platforms and Jobs

The global datasphere is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately **27%** through 2030, reaching around **718 zettabytes** annually, according to International Data Corporation (IDC) figures cited in Seagate Technology’s annual report. Hard disk drive (HDD) shipments show the same pull: Seagate shipped **789** HDD exabytes in fiscal year 2026, up from **595** in fiscal year 2025. The big data statistics below cover data volume, infrastructure spending, power use, the platforms that store and analyze data, business adoption and the jobs market.

Spending and hiring are projected to rise with the data. [Gartner forecasts](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-07-27-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-it-spending-to-grow-14-point-2-percent-in-2026-totaling-6-point-37-trillion) data center systems spending of **$822 billion** in 2026, up from **$506 billion** in 2025, a rise of **62.5%**, and the [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/math/data-scientists.htm) (BLS) projects employment of data scientists to grow **35%** from 2025 to 2035. Every figure comes from a company filing or press release, a government data set, an energy agency report, an employer survey or a named forecast.

## Key Takeaways

- Nearline hard drives made up **695** of Seagate’s **789** HDD exabytes shipped in fiscal year 2026, up from **497** in fiscal year 2025.
- Data centers accounted for around **1.5%** of the world’s electricity consumption in 2024, or **415** terawatt-hours (TWh), according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
- Palantir’s US commercial revenue grew **149%** year-over-year to **$764 million** in Q2 2026.
- MongoDB customers with **$100,000** or greater in annualized recurring revenue (ARR) rose from **2,189** to **2,999** between July 31, 2024 and July 31, 2026.
- **37%** of firms with at least **250** employees reported using AI in their business operations, according to the US Census Bureau.
- Overall employment of database administrators and architects is projected to grow **4%** from 2025 to 2035, far behind data scientists.

## Editor’s Choice

- Global datasphere by 2030, IDC forecast: around **718 zettabytes** annually.
- Worldwide IT spending in 2026, Gartner forecast: **$6.37 trillion**, up **14.2%** from 2025.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) segment sales in Q2 2026: **$42.2 billion**.
- Databricks revenue run-rate, August 2026: crossed **$7 billion**.
- Snowflake product revenue, quarter ended July 31, 2026: **$1.49 billion**.
- Data scientist median annual wage, May 2025: **$120,230**.

## Big Data Statistics on Data Volume and Storage

- AI-enhanced applications are further accelerating data creation, according to Seagate’s fiscal 2026 annual report, which also expects longer data retention, greater data replication and evolving regulatory requirements to support demand for mass-capacity storage.
- In IDC’s forecast, as cited by Seagate, the global datasphere is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately **27%** through 2030, reaching around **718 zettabytes** annually.
- Seagate’s total HDD exabyte shipments grew **32.6%** from fiscal year 2025 to fiscal year 2026.
- Data Center revenue made up **80%** of Seagate’s revenue in fiscal year 2026, up from **75%** the year before.
- Revenue in fiscal year 2026 increased approximately **34%**, or **$3.1 billion**, from fiscal year 2025, primarily due to an increase in nearline exabytes shipped.

| Seagate HDD shipments (exabytes) | Fiscal year 2025 | Fiscal year 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Nearline | 497 | 695 |
| Non-nearline | 98 | 94 |
| Total | 595 | 789 |

*Source: Seagate Technology Form 10-K, fiscal year 2026*

### About This Data

- Compiled from 12 sources: 6 company filings, earnings releases and press releases, 3 US government publications, 1 intergovernmental energy report, 1 research firm forecast and 1 international organization survey.
- The sources were published between January 2025 and September 2026; forecasts, company-reported results and survey data are labeled as such.
- Only primary releases qualified, and the page is reviewed on a rolling basis as sources publish new editions.

## Big Data Infrastructure Spending Statistics

- Worldwide IT spending is expected to reach **$6.37 trillion** in 2026, up **14.2%** from 2025, according to Gartner’s July 2026 forecast.
- Data center systems spending rises from **$506 billion** in 2025 to **$822 billion** in 2026, per the same forecast.
- Data center systems account for **12.9%** of forecast 2026 IT spending, up from **9.1%** in 2025.
- Software spending reaches **$1,468 billion** in 2026, from **$1,271 billion** in 2025, an increase of **15.5%**.
- John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, said: “Building the compute capacity required for AI is the largest infrastructure project ever attempted by humanity.”

 2025 vs 2026 · Source: Gartner (July 2026)       Gartner · 2026 Worldwide IT Spending by Segment ($ billions) 2025 vs 2026    2025  2026          1.5K 1.2K 900 600 300 0   506  822  222  287  790  868  1,271  1,468   Data center systems Infrastructure as a service Devices Software  2025 · 506 2026 · 822 2025 · 222 2026 · 287 2025 · 790 2026 · 868 2025 · 1,271 2026 · 1,468    SOURCE Gartner (July 2026)    View the data| Segment | 2025 ($ billions) | 2026 ($ billions) |
|---|---|---|
| Data center systems | 506 | 822 |
| Infrastructure as a service | 222 | 287 |
| Devices | 790 | 868 |
| Software | 1,271 | 1,468 |







## Recent Developments

- **September 2, 2026:** Snowflake reported product revenue of **$1.49 billion** in the second quarter, representing **37%** year-over-year growth, for the quarter ended July 31, 2026.
- **September 1, 2026:** MongoDB reported second quarter fiscal 2027 total revenue of **$771.8 million**, up **30%** year-over-year.
- **August 13, 2026:** Databricks closed a **$5 billion** strategic funding round at a **$190 billion** valuation.
- **July 27, 2026:** Gartner named data center systems and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) the top growth segments, with infrastructure as a service at **$287 billion** in 2026.
- **Q2 2026:** Palantir revenue grew **93%** year-over-year and **19%** quarter-over-quarter to **$1.935 billion**.
- **Q2 2026:** Amazon reported AWS segment operating income was **$16.6 billion** for the quarter.

## Data Center Electricity Use Statistics

- Data centers accounted for around **1.5%** of the world’s electricity consumption in 2024, or **415 TWh**, per the IEA’s Energy and AI report.
- Globally, data center electricity consumption has grown by around **12%** per year since 2017, more than four times faster than the rate of total electricity consumption.
- Global investment in data centers has nearly doubled since 2022, according to the IEA.
- Data center electricity consumption is set to more than double to around **945 TWh** by 2030, slightly more than Japan’s total electricity consumption today.
- The United States accounted for the largest share of global data center electricity consumption in 2024 (**45%**), followed by China (**25%**) and Europe (**15%**).
- In the United States, data centers account for nearly half of electricity demand growth between now and 2030.

 DATA CENTER ELECTRICITY USE · Data center electricity use (TWh, approximate) · Source: IEA, Energy and AI, 2025     DATA CENTER ELECTRICITY USE  IEA · 2025 Global Data Center Electricity Use (TWh) Data center electricity use (TWh, approximate)          1.2K 900 600 300 0   415 2024  945 2030  1,200 2035     SOURCE IEA, Energy and AI, 2025    View the data| Year | Data center electricity use (TWh, approximate) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 415 |
| 2030 | 945 |
| 2035 | 1,200 |





Further out, the IEA Base Case sees global data center electricity consumption rising to around **1,200 TWh** by 2035. The IEA describes uncertainty widening after 2030, so the 2035 figure is the least firm of the three.

> **Why it matters:** AI is the most important driver of this growth, alongside growing demand for other digital services, according to the IEA. For anyone running big data workloads, that turns electricity supply into a planning constraint alongside storage hardware, because the same data centers host analytics, cloud storage and AI training.

## Cloud Infrastructure Statistics for Big Data

- In [Amazon’s second-quarter results](/amazon-statistics/), AWS segment sales increased **37%** year-over-year to **$42.2 billion**.
- AWS made up **21.0%** of Amazon’s second-quarter net sales, and Amazon’s net sales increased **20%** in the second quarter, compared with **$167.7 billion** in second quarter 2025.
- Gartner’s forecast for [cloud infrastructure spending](/cloud-computing-statistics/) puts infrastructure as a service at **$222 billion** in 2025 and **$287 billion** in 2026, growth of **29.3%**.

| AWS metric, Q2 2026 | Value |
|---|---|
| AWS segment sales | $42.2 billion |
| Year-over-year growth | 37% |
| AWS segment operating income | $16.6 billion |
| Amazon net sales | $200.6 billion |

*Source: Amazon.com second quarter 2026 results*

## Snowflake Data Cloud Statistics

- Snowflake, which describes itself as the AI Data Cloud company, reported product revenue of **$1.49 billion** in the second quarter, representing **37%** year-over-year growth.
- Product revenue made up **96.1%** of Snowflake’s **$1.55 billion** total revenue in the quarter.
- Snowflake reported a net revenue retention rate of **126%**. A rate above 100 means existing customers, as a group, spent more than a year earlier.
- Snowflake had **828** customers with trailing 12-month product revenue greater than **$1 million**, representing **27%** year-over-year growth.

| Snowflake metric, quarter ended July 31, 2026 | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.55 billion |
| Product revenue | $1.49 billion |
| Net revenue retention rate | 126% |
| Customers above $1 million trailing 12-month product revenue | 828 |
| Forbes Global 2000 customers | 829 |
| Remaining performance obligations | $9.00 billion |

*Source: Snowflake second quarter fiscal 2027 results, September 2026*

## Databricks Lakehouse Statistics

- Databricks, the Data and AI company, crossed a **$7 billion** revenue run-rate, delivering more than **80%** year-over-year growth during its Q2.
- Lakehouse, its data warehousing product, surpassed a **$1.5 billion** revenue run-rate, growing over **100%** year over year.
- Databricks said it is continuing to deliver positive adjusted free cash flow over the past **12** months.

| Databricks metric, August 2026 | Reported value |
|---|---|
| Lakebase revenue run-rate | Exceeded $100 million |
| Customers consuming at over $1 million run-rate | >1,000 |
| Customers consuming at over $10 million run-rate | >100 |
| Strategic funding round | $5 billion |
| Valuation | $190 billion |

*Source: Databricks, August 2026*

Databricks reports a run-rate, an annualized figure, while Snowflake reports quarterly revenue, so the two numbers are not directly comparable.

## MongoDB Database Statistics

- MongoDB reported second quarter fiscal 2027 total revenue of **$771.8 million**, up **30%** year-over-year, with Atlas revenue up approximately **29%** year-over-year.
- MongoDB counted **70,600+** total customers, up from **50,700+** two years earlier (July 31, 2026 versus July 31, 2024).
- MongoDB Atlas customers reached **69,300+** in the same quarter.
- Customers with **$100,000** or more in annualized recurring revenue reached **2,999** in the latest quarter, a gain of **37.0%** over two years.
- MongoDB’s customer count excludes users of its free offerings, so the counts cover paying accounts.

 CUSTOMERS WITH $100,000+ ARR · Source: MongoDB second quarter fiscal 2027 results, September 2026     CUSTOMERS WITH $100,000+ ARR  MongoDB · 2027 MongoDB Customers With $100,000+ ARR (count)           3K 2.4K 1.8K 1.2K 600 0               7/31/2024 10/31/2024 1/31/2025 4/30/2025 7/31/2025 10/31/2025 1/31/2026 4/30/2026 7/31/2026     SOURCE MongoDB second quarter fiscal 2027 results, September 2026    View the data| Quarter ended | Customers with $100,000+ ARR |
|---|---|
| 7/31/2024 | 2,189 |
| 10/31/2024 | 2,314 |
| 1/31/2025 | 2,396 |
| 4/30/2025 | 2,506 |
| 7/31/2025 | 2,564 |
| 10/31/2025 | 2,694 |
| 1/31/2026 | 2,799 |
| 4/30/2026 | 2,895 |
| 7/31/2026 | 2,999 |







## Palantir Big Data Analytics Statistics

- US commercial revenue grew **149%** year-over-year and **28%** quarter-over-quarter to **$764 million** in Q2 2026.
- US government revenue grew to **$809 million**, and US revenue reached **$1.573 billion**.
- Palantir closed total contract value of **$3.373 billion**, up **49%** year-over-year.
- It closed **220** deals of at least **$1 million**, **98** deals of at least **$5 million**, and **73** deals of at least **$10 million**.

 YEAR-OVER-YEAR REVENUE GROWTH · Source: Palantir Q2 2026 results, Form 8-K     YEAR-OVER-YEAR REVENUE GROWTH  Palantir · Q2 2026 Palantir Revenue Growth by Segment (%)         Palantir overall  93% US revenue  115% US commercial  149% US government  90%  0 30 60 90 120 150    SOURCE Palantir Q2 2026 results, Form 8-K    View the data| Segment, Q2 2026 | Year-over-year revenue growth (%) |
|---|---|
| Palantir overall | 93 |
| US revenue | 115 |
| US commercial | 149 |
| US government | 90 |





> **By the numbers:** Palantir reported US commercial remaining deal value of **$6.238 billion**, up **124%** year-over-year, after it closed a record-setting **$2.132 billion** of US commercial total contract value, up **153%** year-over-year. Palantir’s US commercial book is now growing faster than its government work, a shift in where analytics software demand comes from.

## Business AI Adoption Statistics

- Among US businesses, [AI adoption](/artificial-intelligence-statistics/) rises with firm size: **37%** of firms with at least **250** employees reported using AI in their business operations.
- Less than **20%** of firms with four or fewer employees reported using AI.
- The AI use rates in the Information (**39.7%**) and Finance and Insurance (**33.9%**) sectors were both higher than the national rate as of May 3, 2026.
- About **42%** of businesses in the Information sector and roughly **39%** in Finance and Insurance expected to use AI in their business functions over the next six months.
- Businesses in the Retail Trade sector reported current and expected usage lower than the national average: around **14%** of businesses currently use AI.

 SHARE OF BUSINESSES USING AI · Source: US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, May 2026     SHARE OF BUSINESSES USING AI  US Census Bureau · 2026 US Business AI Use by Sector and Size (%)         Information sector  39.7% Firms with at least 250 employees  37% Finance and Insurance sector  33.9% Firms with 100 to 249 employees  32% National rate  19.8%  0 8 16 24 32 40    SOURCE US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, May 2026    View the data| Group | Share of businesses using AI (%) |
|---|---|
| Information sector | 39.7 |
| Firms with at least 250 employees | 37 |
| Finance and Insurance sector | 33.9 |
| Firms with 100 to 249 employees | 32 |
| National rate | 19.8 |





## Big Data Salary Statistics

- The median annual wage for data scientists was **$120,230** in May 2025.
- The lowest **10%** earned less than **$67,240**, and the highest **10%** earned more than **$199,130**.
- Publishing, broadcasting, and content providers paid data scientists a median **$142,240** in May 2025.
- Among the top industries the BLS lists, insurance carriers and related activities paid a median **$108,650**.

 MEDIAN ANNUAL WAGE, DATA SCIENTISTS · Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025     MEDIAN ANNUAL WAGE, DATA SCIENTISTS  US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 Data Scientist Median Pay by Industry ($)         Publishing, broadcasting, and content providers  $142,240 Computer systems design and related services  $132,380 Credit intermediation and related activities  $129,490 Management of companies and enterprises  $128,050 Insurance carriers and related activities  $108,650  0 30K 60K 90K 120K 150K    SOURCE US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025    View the data| Industry | Median annual wage, data scientists ($) |
|---|---|
| Publishing, broadcasting, and content providers | 142,240 |
| Computer systems design and related services | 132,380 |
| Credit intermediation and related activities | 129,490 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 128,050 |
| Insurance carriers and related activities | 108,650 |





Database roles sit on either side of the data scientist median. The median annual wage for database architects was **$139,500** in May 2025, and the median annual wage for database administrators was **$104,620**.

 MEDIAN ANNUAL WAGE, MAY 2025 · Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025     MEDIAN ANNUAL WAGE, MAY 2025  US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 Median Pay by Data Occupation ($)         Database architects  $139,500 Data scientists  $120,230 Mathematical science occupations  $107,570 Database administrators  $104,620 All occupations  $50,980  0 30K 60K 90K 120K 150K    SOURCE US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025    View the data| Occupation | Median annual wage, May 2025 ($) |
|---|---|
| Database architects | 139,500 |
| Data scientists | 120,230 |
| Mathematical science occupations | 107,570 |
| Database administrators | 104,620 |
| All occupations | 50,980 |





### What is a big data analytics salary?

Data scientists are the closest BLS occupation to a big data analyst role, so they serve as the measure here. The median annual wage for data scientists was **$120,230** in May 2025, with database architects paid more and database administrators paid less, as the occupation chart above shows.

## Big Data Job Growth Statistics

- Employment of data scientists is projected to grow **35%** from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.
- About **24,800** openings for data scientists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
- Data scientists held about **275,600** jobs in 2025, with publishing, broadcasting, and content providers employing **12%**.
- About **7,300** openings for database administrators and architects are projected each year, whose overall employment is projected to grow **4%** from 2025 to 2035.
- Demand for [machine learning](/machine-learning-statistics/) skills shows up in the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs survey of executives: the three fastest-growing jobs in percentage terms are big data specialists, fintech engineers and AI and machine learning specialists.

 PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT CHANGE · Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 to 2035 projections     PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT CHANGE  US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 to 2035 Projected US Job Growth, 2025 to 2035 (%)         Data scientists  35% Mathematical science occupations  25% Database administrators and architects  4% All occupations  3%  0 7 14 21 28 35    SOURCE US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 to 2035 projections    View the data| Occupation | Projected employment change, 2025 to 2035 (%) |
|---|---|
| Data scientists | 35 |
| Mathematical science occupations | 25 |
| Database administrators and architects | 4 |
| All occupations | 3 |





> **Key finding:** The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 surveyed more than **1,000** companies around the world, representing **22** industry clusters and more than **14 million** workers, and **86%** of respondents expected AI and information processing technologies to transform their business by 2030.

### Is big data a good career?

Employment of data scientists is projected to grow **35%** from 2025 to 2035, with about **24,800** openings projected each year, and the World Economic Forum lists big data specialists among the three fastest-growing jobs in percentage terms. Those projections favor analysis roles over database administration, though they describe demand, not any one person’s prospects.

## Conclusion

The global datasphere is expected to grow at approximately **27%** a year through 2030, reaching around **718 zettabytes** annually, and the money and power behind it are projected to rise too: Gartner forecasts data center systems spending of **$822 billion** this year, and the IEA projects around **945 TWh** of data center electricity by 2030. Company results from AWS, Snowflake, Databricks, MongoDB and Palantir show that demand is landing on the platforms that store, query and model that data.

For readers weighing a career, the clearest signal is the gap between roles: employment of data scientists is projected to grow **35%** from 2025 to 2035, against **4%** for database administrators and architects. The next Gartner forecast and the next round of quarterly results will show whether spending keeps pace with that growth.