Meta plans $145 billion capex in 2026, outspending most nations' militaries
Meta announced a 2026 capital-expenditure target of up to $145 billion, a rise of about 101 % from the previous year, driven largely by AI infrastructure needs.
Meta disclosed that its capital expenditure for 2026 could rise to $145 billion, representing a roughly 101 % increase over the $72.2 billion recorded in 2025. The company attributes the jump to rising component costs, expanded data-center construction, and a strategic focus on artificial-intelligence workloads, including model training and the development of personal agents. Mark Zuckerberg said AI will constitute a "significant portion" of the spend and described 2026 as a pivotal year for building a "superintelligence" that will enhance user experiences, advertiser performance, and new enterprise services.
The projected capex would surpass the 2025 military budgets of all nations except the United States, China and Russia, based on figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. In addition to capex, Meta expects total 2026 expenses to reach $169 billion, driven by higher AI-talent salaries and increased cloud-service commitments. Across the sector, the four leading AI firms—including Meta—are on track to invest about $730 billion in AI in 2026.
Why it matters
Meta's massive AI-focused spending could reshape tech competition and outpace many national defense budgets.
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