Asia Pacific data centre pipeline hits record 19.4GW

Asia Pacific's data centre development pipeline reached a record 19.4GW in 2025, according to Cushman & Wakefield, with Southeast Asia accounting for 31% of the region's under-construction capacity.

The total comprises 3.7GW under active construction and 15.7GW in planning, pointing to a large volume of projects moving through delivery schedules. The figures reflect sustained demand from cloud and artificial intelligence workloads, with Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia emerging as key Southeast Asian markets.

Operational capacity across Asia Pacific rose to 13.8GW in 2025. Malaysia and India accounted for 58% of the region's new operational IT load during the year, while Johor and Mumbai recorded some of the fastest growth.

Johor more than doubled its operational capacity from 401MW to 897MW, a 124% increase. It also has 315MW under construction and 2,099MW in planned supply, giving it one of the region's deepest pipelines.

Mumbai's operational IT load increased 42% from 542MW to 768MW. The city has 323MW under construction and 998MW planned, reinforcing its position as India's main market for future supply.

Andrew Green, Head of Data Centre Group, Asia Pacific, at Cushman & Wakefield, said the market had shifted from planning to delivery.

"Asia Pacific's data centre market is in delivery mode. We're seeing AI-ready capacity delivered at unprecedented scale across the region. Markets like Johor, Mumbai and Bangkok are now central to deployment strategies, while Southeast Asia and India continue to mature rapidly as hyperscale anchors. The region's record 19.4GW pipeline highlights the depth of committed cloud and AI demand, as well as APAC's growing ability to convert planned capacity into live supply," Green said.

Market depth

Among the primary markets in the regional update, Greater Tokyo had the largest operational capacity at 1,179MW, with 228MW under construction and 1,705MW planned. Singapore followed with 1,043MW operational, though its near-term construction pipeline was much smaller at 20MW, alongside 237MW planned.

Sydney had 786MW operational and 189MW under construction, with 1,102MW planned. Greater Seoul recorded 601MW operational, 223MW under construction and 698MW planned.

Hong Kong had 581MW operational capacity, 161MW under construction and 510MW planned. Greater Jakarta stood at 322MW operational, with 186MW under construction and 901MW planned, while Bangkok had 113MW operational but a relatively large 347MW under construction and 702MW planned.

Vacancy rates varied sharply between markets. Johor had the lowest listed colocation vacancy at 0.7%, followed by Sydney at 3.0% and Singapore at 4.9%. At the other end, Greater Jakarta recorded 24.9% vacancy, Hong Kong 19.1% and Bangkok 17.6%.

Policy shift

The regional expansion comes as governments adjust policy settings around power, sustainability and digital infrastructure investment. These factors are becoming more important in site selection as operators seek locations with sufficient electricity supply and planning conditions that support large facilities.

Pritesh Swamy, Head of Research & Advisory - Data Centre Group, Asia Pacific, at Cushman & Wakefield, said policy changes were increasingly tied to power and environmental constraints.

"Across Asia Pacific, we're seeing governments recalibrate policies to balance digital infrastructure growth with power and sustainability priorities. This marks a broader shift toward energy-efficient, AI-ready development that supports long-term expansion," Swamy said.

Maturity rankings

The firm's annual APAC Data Centre Maturity Index, which compares 30 markets on current scale, pipeline, operator depth, vacancy and growth potential, also showed shifts in the regional hierarchy. Johor rose to the top of the composite ranking, moving ahead of Tokyo and Beijing on the strength of its scale, pipeline depth and growth rate.

Melbourne moved into the Powerhouse category, reflecting growth in live capacity and its construction pipeline. Osaka advanced into the Established group, while Greater Seoul became the largest market in that category by operational capacity and development pipeline.

The latest figures suggest the region's biggest data centre markets are defined not only by existing capacity, but also by how quickly projects can move from approval to operation in locations where power and land remain available.