Oct 22, 2025
10-12 mins
Top 10 Data Center Colocation Markets in Europe, Middle East, and Africa in 2025 (Featuring Growth Stats & Providers)
This list highlights the 10 most strategic EMEA colocation hubs to watch in 2025, based on absorption, connectivity, growth capacity, and ecosystem maturity, plus one bonus market that’s on the rise.
From London’s Docklands to Johannesburg’s hyperscale campuses, the EMEA region has become one of the most dynamic and fragmented data center landscapes in the world. Unlike the U.S., where a handful of “super-markets” dominate, EMEA’s colocation hubs are spread across diverse geographies, power grids, and regulatory environments.
What factors define a top colocation market in EMEA?
A top EMEA colocation market blends interconnection density, sustainable growth capacity, favorable economics, and ecosystem depth to ensure long-term viability. Proximity to major internet exchanges and subsea cable landing stations ensures low latency and routing diversity, while energy availability and increasingly carbon intensity shape long-term viability.
Growth potential depends on land availability, permitting, and power infrastructure, with utility constraints now the defining factor across Europe. A strong mix of demand from hyperscalers, enterprises, and content providers keeps markets balanced. Finally, tax incentives, regulatory support, and workforce availability play major roles in how fast a hub can scale.
Top EMEA Data Center Colocation Markets
London is Europe’s largest colocation market, driven by its role as the global financial capital and the unrivaled interconnection density of the Docklands cluster. Carrier hotels and subsea cable landings cement London as a low-latency gateway between North America, Europe, and Africa. At the same time, tightening power and land availability inside the M25 are reshaping the market, with Slough and surrounding submarkets absorbing much of the expansion activity.
Spotlight: According to CBRE’s UK Mid-Year 2025 Review, London now offers more than 1.2 GW of operational capacity, yet vacancy rates have dropped below 5%, the lowest ever recorded. JLL’s 2025 Data Center Outlook highlights that London absorbed 111 MW in 2024, with more than 100 MW pre-leased heading into this year, underscoring demand that continues to outpace available supply. With hyperscalers driving over 80% of new leases, power constraints remain the central challenge, but London’s subsea connectivity and carrier density keep it the backbone of Europe’s internet economy.
Major providers: Equinix, Telehouse, Virtus, and Digital Realty.
Explore colocation providers in London.
Frankfurt is Europe’s busiest colocation hub due to DE-CIX, deep hyperscaler demand, and the largest data center pipeline in the region. Frankfurt is the beating heart of Europe’s internet economy, anchored by DE-CIX, the world’s largest internet exchange by peak traffic. Its central location makes it a strategic hub for pan-European deployments, while Germany’s strong regulatory framework and enterprise base add resilience to the market. Hyperscalers, carriers, and financial institutions alike rely on Frankfurt for its unrivaled network density and connectivity. Enterprises choose Frankfurt colocation for pan-European deployments and AI workloads needing low-latency interconnection.
Spotlight: According to JLL, Frankfurt reached a total market size of 805 MW, with 116 MW of new supply added in 2024, 111 MW of take-up, and 138 MW already pre-leased heading into 2025. CBRE notes that FLAP-D markets, with Frankfurt at the forefront, will account for more than 50% of the 937 MW of new EMEA supply in 2025, a 43% year-over-year increase. With a further 423 MW under construction and 1,108 MW in planning, Frankfurt holds the deepest pipeline in Europe. Even under stricter sustainability regulations and land constraints, vacancy continues to trend downward, solidifying Frankfurt as the busiest and most future-proof colocation hub in EMEA.
Major providers: Equinix, NTT, Digital Realty, Maincubes.
Find hyperscale-ready facilities in Frankfurt.
Amsterdam has long been one of Europe’s most strategic colocation hubs, acting as a gateway for transatlantic and Nordic traffic. Its open interconnection ecosystem, subsea cable density, and proximity to major European metros make it a critical node in the FLAP-D cluster. However, supply growth has slowed compared to its peers, with Dutch regulators imposing stricter rules on new large-scale developments and ongoing grid congestion limiting expansion. Developers are increasingly exploring nearby markets such as Rotterdam, Groningen, and Almere to accommodate future demand.
Spotlight: CBRE ranks Amsterdam as the third-largest European colocation market with over 500 MW of operational capacity, but warns that Paris could soon overtake it due to supply bottlenecks. Vacancy has tightened sharply, with reports indicating that Netherlands-wide rates dropped to just 5% in 2025, down from 7% a year earlier. Amsterdam reflects this with high pre-leasing and limited new deliveries. Despite constraints, Amsterdam’s position as a subsea landing hub ensures it remains critical to Europe’s digital economy.
Major providers: Equinix, NorthC, Digital Realty, EdgeConneX.
Where to deploy AI workloads in Amsterdam.
Paris has evolved from a primarily enterprise-driven market into one of Europe’s fastest-growing colocation hubs, driven by hyperscaler demand, nuclear-powered sustainability, and strong enterprise adoption. The city benefits from a strong domestic enterprise base across finance, media, and manufacturing, while also emerging as a hyperscale destination with recent region launches from AWS, Google, and Microsoft. France’s unique energy profile, where nuclear accounts for roughly 70% of electricity generation, gives Paris a powerful sustainability advantage compared to other FLAP-D hubs. This low-carbon grid has made the city increasingly attractive to operators and hyperscalers under mounting ESG scrutiny.
Spotlight: Paris is now on track to overtake Amsterdam as Europe’s third-largest colocation market. Paris is a leading contributor to the MW capacity expansion in Europe. JLL reports that Paris recorded 17 MW of take-up in 2024, despite no new supply being delivered that year, while another 32 MW was pre-leased for upcoming projects. Paris saw over 40% year-over-year growth in available inventory in early 2024, the fastest among FLAPD metros. Adding momentum, France has attracted €109 billion in AI infrastructure investment, much of which will translate into hyperscale campuses in and around Paris.
Major providers: DATA4, Interxion (Digital Realty), Equinix.
Compare colocation pricing in Paris now.
Dublin has become the default entry point for hyperscalers into Europe, thanks to tax incentives, an English-speaking workforce, and its close ties to global cloud operations. The city remains synonymous with hyperscale campuses, but growth is now shaped as much by grid constraints as by demand. Regulators have paused new grid connections in the capital until 2028, forcing operators to explore secondary sites while balancing sustainability expectations.
Spotlight: Dublin recorded 15 MW of new supply and 15 MW of take-up in 2024, with a further 52 MW pre-leased going into 2025, leaving vacancy below 6%. At the same time, Ireland’s national grid operator reports that data centers consumed 21% of all electricity in 2023, underlining both the scale of Dublin’s ecosystem and the urgency of its energy debate.
Major providers: AWS, Microsoft, Google, CyrusOne, Equinix.
Explore data center availability in Dublin.
#6: Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg is Africa’s most mature data center market and the continent’s primary interconnection hub. Its role as the landing point for subsea systems like WACS, ACE, and Equiano makes it the digital gateway into sub-Saharan Africa. Hyperscalers, including AWS, Microsoft, and Google, have established local regions here, reinforcing their position as the anchor for Africa’s growing cloud ecosystem.
Spotlight: In August 2025, Teraco, a Digital Realty company, completed a 30 MW expansion at its JB4 Bredell Campus, making it the largest standalone data center ever built in Africa, with 50 MW of critical IT load across 14 data halls. The facility introduces Africa’s first 5 MW single data halls designed to support AI workloads with advanced liquid cooling and sustainability features, including a closed-loop, zero-water system. With Teraco’s total Johannesburg platform now exceeding 189 MW of critical power load across multiple campuses, the city underscores its dominance as Africa’s interconnection hub and the springboard for regional cloud growth.
Major providers: Teraco (Digital Realty), Africa Data Centres.
Find the best colocation providers in Johannesburg.
Nairobi is emerging as East Africa’s digital hub, anchored by its role as the region’s financial and technology capital and its access to subsea cable systems like PEACE, SEACOM, and LION2. The city is drawing investment from both global hyperscalers and regional providers, making it the central gateway for cloud and content services in East Africa.
Spotlight: Kenya’s existing colocation capacity sits at around 20 MW, with Nairobi accounting for the majority. By the end of 2025, an additional 25 MW is expected to come online, with more than 150 MW of new capacity in the national pipeline — 90% concentrated in Nairobi. This wave of development, led by Africa Data Centres and IXAfrica, positions Nairobi as one of the fastest-growing emerging colocation hubs on the continent.
Major providers: Africa Data Centres, IXAfrica, icolo.io (Digital Realty).
Explore colocation providers in Nairobi.
Dubai has established itself as the Middle East’s interconnection crossroads, linking Europe, Asia, and Africa through subsea cable landings and its strategic aviation and trade hub status. Its business-friendly climate and investment from global hyperscalers have accelerated colocation growth, turning Dubai into the region’s Tier I digital market.
Spotlight: According to Cushman & Wakefield, the Middle East’s colocation capacity grew by over 20% in H1 2025, with Dubai capturing a significant share as new hyperscaler campuses from AWS, Microsoft, and Oracle came online. The UAE government has also committed billions in digital infrastructure investment, ensuring Dubai remains the anchor market for Gulf-region connectivity.
Major providers: Equinix, Khazna Data Centers, Moro Hub.
Find a data center partner in Dubai.
Riyadh is at the center of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which prioritizes digital infrastructure as a foundation for economic diversification. Massive government investment and partnerships with global operators are fast-tracking the city’s rise from a secondary market into one of the most ambitious digital hubs in the world.
Spotlight: Saudi Arabia’s capital could add more than 1 GW of capacity by 2030, making it one of the largest emerging data center markets globally. Already, new builds from STC, Mobily, and Khazna are reshaping Riyadh’s landscape, while national initiatives ensure demand from government, financial services, and AI projects will sustain momentum.
Major providers: Saudi Telecom (STC), Mobily, Khazna.
See hyperscale-ready facilities in Riyadh.
Madrid has surged as a key Southern European hub, fueled by subsea cables like 2Africa and Grace Hopper, which connect Spain directly to Africa and the Americas. Its strong enterprise demand and location as a bridge between Europe and LATAM make it increasingly attractive for both hyperscalers and regional enterprises.
Spotlight: Madrid is now Europe’s fastest-growing secondary market, with new cable landings expected to drive triple-digit MW growth in capacity by 2025. Google’s Grace Hopper cable has already reduced latency between Spain and the U.S. East Coast by 30%, cementing Madrid’s role as a subsea gateway. Hyperscale operators, including AWS, Microsoft, and Meta, are investing heavily in the Iberian Peninsula, transforming Madrid from a regional hub into a strategic landing zone for global connectivity.
Major providers: Interxion, Nabiax, Equinix.
Where to deploy AI workloads in Madrid.
Bonus Market to Watch: Warsaw, Poland
Why is Warsaw an emerging colocation hub to watch in 2025? Warsaw is accelerating as Central and Eastern Europe’s digital pivot point. Beyond mere capacity figures, the city is being elevated by strategic infrastructure investment, regional demand, and sustainability-forward policy.
Spotlight: Warsaw’s data center market is poised to triple in size over the next five years — a growth trajectory that illustrates its escalating role as a Tier-2 alternative to FLAP-D metros like London and Frankfurt. Meanwhile, the Polish Data Centre Association reports that Poland’s national grid operator has already allocated capacity for 1.2 GW of data center power development through 2034, signaling strong policy support and future readiness.
Major providers: Equinix, Atman, Beyond.pl.
Explore Real-Time Colocation Availability with Inflect
Want to compare EMEA colocation markets in real time? Inflect helps you explore availability, assess providers, and quote instantly across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Whether you’re deploying in a major hub like London or Frankfurt, or exploring growth markets such as Nairobi or Dubai, Inflect makes the process seamless.
See real-time colocation availability across EMEA with Inflect.
About the Author
Trevor Hopkins
Account Manager at Inflect
Trevor is an expert in the digital infrastructure industry with a proven track record of helping buyers navigate complex markets—whether building next-gen data centers, expanding global networks, or evaluating compliance-heavy workloads like blockchain. He shares insights and observations drawn from practical experience and real cases, writing at the intersection of technology, regulation, and the systems that keep the internet running.
Contact:
Email:
trevor.hopkins@inflect.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-hopkins-2ab3ba201/