101markets classified
Structure Research classifies 101 global data centre markets in its August 2026 market tiering. Source: Structure Research, Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026 (August 2026).
Journalist source desk · August 2026
Facts made to be cited
Approved headline results, ready-to-copy attribution and reporting resources for the global data centre market.
Headline facts
Four clear entry points for coverage
Copy the complete sourced sentence or use the figure with the attribution line below. Composite scores are shown to two decimal places for publication.
21Tier 1 markets
Twenty-one markets are classified Tier 1 in Structure Research's August 2026 global data centre market tiering. Source: Structure Research, Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026 (August 2026).
4.63top composite score
Northern Virginia ranks first globally with a composite score of 4.63 out of 5.00 in Structure Research's August 2026 market tiering. Source: Structure Research, Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026 (August 2026).
40%colocation weighting
Commercial colocation accounts for 40% of Structure Research's 2026 global data centre market tiering composite. Source: Structure Research, Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026 (August 2026).
Top-ranked markets
The global top five
The fixed-weight composite combines commercial colocation, hyperscale and self-build, AI maturity, and connectivity and network gravity.
RankMarketRegionComposite
01Northern Virginia (incl. ext.)North America4.63
02TokyoAsia Pacific4.57
03SingaporeAsia Pacific4.42
04LondonEMEA4.40
05SydneyAsia Pacific4.25
Northern Virginia ranks first globally, followed by Tokyo, Singapore, London and Sydney in Structure Research's August 2026 market tiering.
Tier distribution
Every market, one consistent framework
Final tiers combine a market's composite score with operational scale gates for the two highest classifications.
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The 2026 classification comprises 21 Tier 1 markets, 29 Tier 2 markets, 30 Tier 3 markets and 21 Tier 4 markets.
Attribution
Copy the source exactly
Use the short source line beside a chart or statistic. Use the full citation in references, footnotes and online coverage.
Source: Structure Research, Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026 (August 2026).
Structure Research. Global Data Centre Market Tiering 2026. August 2026. https://datacentreresearch.com/datasets/global-data-centre-tiering-2026
Source files and experts
Everything needed to verify the numbers
The report and scoring definitions are available online. Structure Research clients, press, media and journalists may request the CSV from the analyst team.