Asia Pacific’s data centre development pipeline hit a record 19.4 gigawatts in 2025, underscoring a shift toward large-scale execution as hyperscale cloud and artificial intelligence demand accelerates across the region, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
The pipeline includes 3.7GW under construction and 15.7GW in planning, while operational capacity reached 13.8GW, reflecting a steady conversion of projects into live supply.
Southeast Asia accounted for the largest share of under-construction capacity at 31%, driven by strong activity in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia as global cloud providers expand their regional footprint.
“Asia Pacific’s data centre market is in delivery mode,” Andrew Green, head of Data Centre Group for Asia Pacific at Cushman & Wakefield, said, noting that AI-ready capacity is being deployed at unprecedented scale.
He added that markets such as Johor, Mumbai and Bangkok are increasingly central to hyperscale deployment strategies.
Data from the consultancy showed that Malaysia and India led capacity additions in 2025, contributing 58% of new operational IT load.
Johor emerged as one of the fastest-growing hubs, with capacity more than doubling to 897 megawatts, supported by 315MW under construction and a further 2,099MW in the pipeline.
Mumbai also expanded rapidly, with operational capacity rising 42% to 768MW and nearly 1GW of future supply planned.
A breakdown of primary markets highlights diverging dynamics across the region. Tokyo remains the largest operational market at 1,179MW, followed by Singapore at 1,043MW, though both face relatively tighter expansion pipelines compared with emerging hubs.
Sydney, Mumbai and Johor are among the markets combining strong existing capacity with large development pipelines, indicating sustained hyperscale demand.
In Southeast Asia, Johor stands out with one of the region’s lowest vacancy rates at 0.7%, signalling tight supply despite aggressive expansion plans.
By contrast, Jakarta and Bangkok show significantly higher vacancy rates of 24.9% and 17.6%, respectively, suggesting that new capacity is still being absorbed.
Hong Kong also recorded elevated vacancy at 19.1%, reflecting softer demand conditions relative to supply.
Across North Asia, Greater Seoul continues to expand with 223MW under construction and 698MW planned, while Tokyo and Hong Kong remain key gateway markets despite more moderate pipeline growth.
In South Asia, Mumbai leads India’s expansion with 323MW under construction and 998MW planned, reinforcing its position as a core hyperscale hub.
The data also shows operators prioritising power availability and high-density infrastructure as AI workloads drive more energy-intensive requirements.
Governments across the region are increasingly aligning policy frameworks with private sector investment, balancing growth with constraints around power supply, sustainability and regulation.
Cushman & Wakefield’s latest data centre maturity index ranked Johor as the region’s most competitive market, overtaking Tokyo and Beijing due to its rapid growth trajectory and deep pipeline.
Melbourne was elevated to the “Powerhouse” category, while Osaka and Greater Seoul continued to strengthen their positions among established markets.
The scale of the pipeline points to a heavy delivery cycle into 2026, although analysts said execution risks remain tied to power availability and regulatory approvals, which could shape how quickly planned capacity is brought online.