--- title: How many data centres are in the UK? date: 2026-10-27T07:33:00+00:00 canonical_url: "https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/articles/how-many-data-centres-uk" section: "Articles & Guides" date_modified: 2026-10-29T09:14:08+00:00 --- # How many data centres are in the UK? By [Jan Ross](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/authors/jan-ross), DCF Editorial The official count, why other counts differ, and where UK data centres cluster. ![How many data centres are in the UK? Published counts range from 239 to 609.](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/uploads/content-93b8a91d160543574a45a45962f37f46519d6560013f477a045cff242008c069.png)Short answer: there are between 239 and 609 data centres in the UK. The number depends on who is counting and what they count. ## Key takeaways - Counts differ mainly on scope: who a site serves, buildings or campuses, listings or operating sites, and Great Britain or the whole UK. - London and the South East hold 135 of the 239 sites in the government's count. Slough alone has 30. - UK data centres have about 2.0 GW of electrical capacity in operation, 0.87 GW under construction and 10.88 GW more announced or permitted, in one academic estimate. - At Ofgem's latest count, around 73 GW of data centre demand was waiting in Great Britain's grid connection queue. Power is the limit to plan around. - If you are choosing a site, ask what power it can deliver from day one, not what is planned. ## How many data centres are there in the UK? **The official count is 239 in Great Britain. Counts of the whole UK run higher.** A data centre is a building, or a dedicated part of one, that houses servers, storage and network equipment, with the power, cooling and security to keep them running around the clock. Counts differ mainly on which of these buildings they include. The [Department for Energy Security and Net Zero](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-trends-june-2026-special-feature-article-data-centre-electricity-consumption-in-great-britain-2020-to-2024) (DESNZ) matched electricity meters to known data centres. It found 239 in operation in the latest year it covers, up from 221 at the start of its five-year series. It counts colocation, managed hosting and hyperscale sites (very large facilities built for the biggest cloud and internet companies) serving outside customers. It leaves out enterprise data centres, the server rooms and private facilities organisations run for themselves, and it covers Great Britain only. Independent counts go higher. They cover the whole UK and use other site lists and definitions. [CITP](https://citp.ac.uk/publications/mapping-the-uks-data-centres-build-out-implications-for-digital-sovereignty), at the University of Sussex, counted 348 live UK sites using the Baxtel database. Directory listings sit at the top of the range. The [Office for National Statistics](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/uksectoraccounts/methodologies/datacentresandtheuknationalaccounts) (ONS) says there are no regularly updated official data sources on data centres. Government counts metered sites, directories count listings and analysts estimate, so each one measures something different. ## Why do UK data centre counts differ? **Each source counts a different kind of site, over a different area, from a different list.** SourceCountWhat it countsSource typeDESNZ, Energy Trends239Operational colocation, managed hosting and hyperscale sites serving outside customers, Great Britain; excludes enterpriseOfficial statistics in developmentSavills, Spotlight: UK data centres258Existing facilities in Savills' UK capacity researchProperty market researchOxford Economics266Estimated UK data centresEconomic researchCITP, University of Sussex (Baxtel data)348Live sites, UKAcademic analysis of a directorytechUK, Foundations for the future450Sites in Climate Change Agreements plus an estimate of enterprise data centres, UKIndustry body estimateBarbour ABI (reported by BBC News)477Estimated UK data centresConstruction intelligenceCloudscene523Directory listings, UKDirectoryData Center Map595Directory listings, UKDirectoryBaxtel609Directory listings, UK, all facilities listedDirectory *Table notes: only the government figure is official statistics, and directory totals change often.* Scope and source type: see table and notes. Data dates and checks: [Sources](#sources). ![Horizontal bar chart of nine published counts of UK data centres: DESNZ 239 (official count, Great Britain), Savills 258, Oxford Economics 266, CITP 348 live sites, techUK 450 including enterprise sites, Barbour ABI 477, and directory listings from Cloudscene 523, Data Center Map 595 and Baxtel 609.](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/uploads/content-c96f9350910c4f3c0585073dcd6f959fcb10b1d914bc105345a6e26142cd9f1a.png) *Figure 1: Published counts of UK data centres range from 239 to 609.* Five things explain most of the gap. - **Who the site serves.** DESNZ counts only facilities serving outside customers. Enterprise data centres, run by banks, retailers or universities for their own systems, are left out (DESNZ). - **Whether enterprise sites are estimated.** techUK starts from the sites signed up to Climate Change Agreements, then adds an estimate of enterprise data centres to reach its figure of 450 (techUK). Any count that includes an enterprise allowance will sit well above DESNZ, because it adds back the private sites DESNZ leaves out. - **Buildings or campuses.** DESNZ counts each data centre on a multi-building campus separately (DESNZ). Some directories list a campus once; others list every hall. - **Listings or operating sites.** A directory listing can include sites that are planned, under construction or closed. DESNZ only includes sites whose electricity meters show consumption that year (DESNZ). The same database can give very different answers: Baxtel lists 609 UK facilities, while CITP's analysis of Baxtel data counted 348 live sites (Baxtel; CITP). - **Great Britain or the UK.** DESNZ covers Great Britain. ONS has since corrected its own article to make clear that the DESNZ figures exclude Northern Ireland (ONS). Before you compare two headline numbers, check what each one counts. ## Where are the UK's data centres? **Mostly in London and Slough, where fibre, power and customers meet.** You can explore every area on our [map of UK data centre locations](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/locations). DESNZ's latest figures put 68 data centres in the South East and 67 in London (DESNZ). Three places stand out: - Slough: 30 data centres, up from 21 at the start of DESNZ's five-year series. They used 1.29 TWh of electricity, 65.2% of all grid electricity used in Slough (DESNZ). - Tower Hamlets, which includes London Docklands: 29 data centres (DESNZ). - Hillingdon, next to Slough: 10 data centres, up from 7 over the same five years (DESNZ). Outside London and the South East, DESNZ counts 45 in the North (22 of them in Greater Manchester), 16 in the Midlands, 16 in the East, 15 in the South West and Wales combined, and 12 in Scotland (DESNZ). Broader counts show the same pattern. CITP finds 313 of 348 UK sites in England, with 218 in London alone (CITP). Capacity is even more concentrated: Savills puts 1,637 MW of the UK's 1,803 MW of live capacity in London, around 91% (Savills). If you are shortlisting, start with our guides to [data centres in London](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/locations/london), [Slough](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/locations/slough) and the wider [South East](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/locations/south-east). ## How much data centre capacity does the UK have? **About 2.0 GW is in operation, and the pipeline is several times larger.** Capacity, measured in megawatts (MW) or gigawatts (GW), says more about the market than the site count, because one large campus can outweigh dozens of small sites. The three main estimates measure slightly different things: SourceWhat it measuresIn operationUnder constructionPipelineCITP, University of SussexElectrical capacity of live UK sitesAbout 2.0 GW0.87 GW10.88 GW announced or permittedSavillsLive UK data centre capacity1,803 MW242 MWAround 13,500 MW in totalOxford EconomicsUK IT power capacity2.9 GWNot stated6.2 GW more projected *Table notes: each estimate uses a different database, so compare within a row, not across rows.* Scope and source type: see table and notes. Data dates and checks: [Sources](#sources). For comparison, the government's latest estimate puts colocation data centre IT capacity in Great Britain at about 1.6 GW, excluding enterprise sites ([DSIT](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimate-of-data-centre-capacity-great-britain-2024)). Sites are getting bigger. The average UK data centre has roughly tripled in size, from 2.1 MW to 6.3 MW, but 171 of the 258 existing facilities are below 5 MW ([Savills](https://www.savills.co.uk/research_articles/229130/391922-0)). Extra capacity is arriving in fewer, much larger projects. Ownership is concentrated too: the top ten operators control 62% of UK live capacity (Savills), and our [directory of UK data centre operators](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/operators) shows who runs which site. Little of it is free. In Savills' latest figures, UK vacancy has fallen to 8%, and to 7% in London. Of the roughly 66 MW scheduled to complete next, 96% is already pre-sold (Savills). ## Is the number of UK data centres growing? **Yes. The number of sites is rising slowly, but the power they need is rising much faster.** In DESNZ's figures, the count rose from 221 to 239 over the five years its series covers. Over the same period, their electricity use rose by 41%, from 3.16 TWh to 4.46 TWh, or 1.8% of the electricity drawn from the grid in Great Britain (DESNZ). ONS says energy use growing faster than site numbers could reflect existing data centres expanding their capacity (ONS). The longer view is steeper. [Oxford Economics](https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/resource/the-uks-data-centre-boom-growth-trends-drivers-and-the-rising-power-challenge/) estimates the number of UK data centres has risen by more than 400% in roughly a quarter of a century, from 52 to 266. Barbour ABI's analysis of planning documents points to almost 100 more sites, most due within five years (as reported by BBC News). The pipeline is even larger: - In about seven months, contracted demand in Great Britain's connection queue tripled, from 41 GW to 125 GW. Around 73 GW of that is data centres, across around 315 projects ([Ofgem](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-07/Proposed-data-centre-connection-reforms-curate-consultation-document.pdf)). - The queue for demand connections to the transmission network grew by 460% in just six months (DESNZ, DSIT, NESO and Ofgem). - Planned data centres could add around 6.2 GW of IT power capacity in Oxford Economics' projection, more than double the current 2.9 GW. Not every project will be built. ONS notes that a proposal to build a data centre does not automatically lead to a finished site. [Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-tackle-speculative-demand-grid-connection-requests) and [Ofgem](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-07/Proposed-data-centre-connection-reforms-curate-consultation-document.pdf) have consulted on reforms to clear speculative applications from the queue. Data centres are also designated Critical National Infrastructure ([DSIT](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/data-centres-to-be-given-massive-boost-and-protections-from-cyber-criminals-and-it-blackouts)), a status for the sector rather than a check on any single site. ### Where are data centres being built? London leads. Savills puts 240 MW of the 242 MW under construction, and 1,652 MW of the 2,084 MW of committed capacity, in London (Savills). Beyond London, the government has named five AI Growth Zones, which get help with power access and planning for AI data centres: Oxfordshire, the North East, North Wales, South Wales and Lanarkshire in Scotland ([DSIT](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ai-growth-zones)). ## What this means if you're choosing a data centre **More data centres does not mean more choice: most capacity, and most of the squeeze, is in and around London.** - London and Slough offer the most sites and the densest connectivity, but the least spare capacity. Established regional sites can offer more space and a clearer path to power, with a thinner choice of networks and cloud services (Savills). Compare what we list in [Birmingham](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/locations/birmingham) and our other [UK locations](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/locations). - With around 73 GW of data centre demand queuing for grid connections (Ofgem), ask what power a site can supply from day one and when any extra will be connected, not what is planned. - Published power figures are rare. Only 26 of 68 live listings on Data Centre Finder give a power capacity in megawatts from the operator's own published information. By comparison, 43 of 68 are carrier-neutral (open to any network provider rather than tied to one) and 41 of 68 list at least one certification. Expect to ask for power figures directly. - Shortlist on four things, in order: location, power, connectivity and certifications. Questions to ask each site: 1. How much power can you deliver to my racks, in kW per rack? 2. If I need more later, is that power already contracted from the grid, and from when? 3. Which carriers and cloud on-ramps (private, direct connections to cloud providers) are in the building? 4. Which certifications does the site hold, such as ISO 27001? 5. Is the site operating, or under construction? 6. Is the site one building, or one hall on a larger campus? Treat 239 as the floor for sites serving outside customers in Great Britain and 609 as the widest directory count. For a buyer, the number that matters is how many sites in the right place have power available when you need it, and that list is much shorter. ## Browse and compare UK data centres [Browse and compare UK data centres on Data Centre Finder](https://datacentrefinder.co.uk/data-centres), from London Docklands and Slough to the Midlands, Newcastle, Edinburgh and South Wales, each built from its operator's published information, and shortlist the sites that fit your needs. *Last updated: 29 October 2026.* ## Frequently asked questions ### How many data centres are in London? DESNZ's latest figures count 67 data centres in London: 38 in Inner London and 29 in Outer London (DESNZ). CITP counts 218 live sites in London, using the Baxtel database, which has a different site list and definition from DESNZ's (CITP). ### Does the UK have the most data centres in Europe? Not on every count. Directory counts put the UK roughly level with Germany: Cloudscene lists 523 UK data centres and 529 in Germany (Cloudscene). The government has said the UK has the highest number of data centres in Western Europe (DSIT). ### How much electricity do UK data centres use? Data centres in Great Britain used 4.46 TWh of grid electricity in the latest year DESNZ reports, 1.8% of the total (DESNZ). Estimates based on capacity rather than meter readings come out higher, because they assume how much of each site's capacity is in use. ### How many data centres are in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? DESNZ's latest figures count 12 data centres in Scotland. It groups Wales with the South West (15 in total) and does not cover Northern Ireland (DESNZ). CITP counts 14 in Scotland, 12 in Wales and 9 in Northern Ireland (CITP). ### How many hyperscale data centres are in the UK? Sixteen of the 348 live UK sites in CITP's analysis are hyperscale, while 65% are carrier-neutral colocation (CITP). Capacity is more concentrated than the site count suggests: the ten largest operator groups, a mix of carrier-neutral platforms and hyperscale owners, hold around three-fifths of operational capacity (CITP).