January 2026 Macro Views: IT Spending Momentum Strengthens

See how enterprise technology leaders are allocating budgets, managing labor, and scaling AI in 2026 as plans move from exploration to execution.

  • Based on insights from 1,746 enterprise technology leaders

  • Includes 285 Fortune 500 and 421 Global 2000 respondents

  • Fielded December 2025 – January 2026

As organizations enter 2026, enterprise technology leaders are balancing renewed budget confidence with continued cost discipline. The Winter 2026 Macro Views Survey delivers a data-driven snapshot of where spending is accelerating, where pressure remains, and how AI is reshaping workforce and investment decisions.

Grounded in direct feedback from the ETR Community, this report separates signal from sentiment, helping you understand not just what is changing, but why it matters for enterprise technology strategy in the year ahead.

Download the full findings, including breakouts by enterprise size, industry, geography, technology category, and AI adoption strategy.

About the Macro Views Survey

The Macro Views Survey consistently tracks and updates core trends like budget growth, spending priorities, and organizational trends. By surveying the ETR Community, a body of technology leaders with direct budget accountability, Macro Views provides a grounded, real-time view of how macro conditions translate into actual enterprise decision-making.

Inside the January 2026 Findings

  • IT spending expectations strengthened: CY2025 growth rose to 3.7%; CY2026 expectations increased to 4.6%; 74% plan to increase IT spend.

  • Budget growth is broadening across enterprise cuts, industries, and regions, with Fortune 500 showing the largest sequential improvement.

  • Spend increases favor execution: new projects (27%) and cloud expansion (15%) lead; new vendor adoption remains limited (5%).

  • Cost controls persist: among the 15% planning to cut IT budgets, reducing staffing costs (25%) and vendor consolidation (17%) are the top levers.

  • AI is now influencing workforce strategy: limiting future headcount rose to 30% (higher in Fortune 500/100). 


Download the Winter 2026 Macro Views Survey Infographic for a quick, visual summary of the important findings—built to scan fast and share internally.

 

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