Planning and forecasting market seen reaching $137.5 billion by 2030

The planning and forecasting market is projected to grow from $87.22 billion in 2026 to $137.5 billion by 2030, driven by AI, cloud platforms and rising data volumes. North America led in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region.

Why it matters: - Planning and forecasting tools are becoming more central to how companies set budgets, allocate resources and respond to volatile markets. - The market’s growth points to rising demand for software that can turn large data sets into faster, more accurate business decisions. - The shift matters most for finance, operations and supply chain teams that need real-time planning instead of static spreadsheets.

What happened: - The Business Research Company said the global planning and forecasting market is expected to rise from $78 billion in 2025 to $87.22 billion in 2026. - The report forecasts the market will reach $137.5 billion by 2030. - The company projects a 11.8% CAGR from 2025 to 2026 and a 12.1% CAGR over the longer forecast period. - The report was published Oct. 6, 2026. - The report includes a free sample and the full market report.

The details: - The market’s earlier growth was supported by manual budgeting methods, limited integration of enterprise data, spreadsheet-based forecasting tools, rising demand for structured financial planning and early ERP systems focused on reporting. - Future growth is tied to wider use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in forecasting. - Cloud-based planning and analytics platforms are also a major growth driver. - The report cites growing complexity in global supply chains and markets as another force pushing adoption. - Expected trends include AI-powered predictive planning, real-time scenario forecasting, cloud enterprise performance planning, integrated financial and operational forecasting, and more data-driven budgeting and resource allocation. - Planning and forecasting uses data, business modeling and analytics to help organizations set goals, allocate resources and predict outcomes. - The process draws on historical data, market trends and operational inputs to support forecasts for demand, revenue, budgeting and capacity. - The report says this improves decision-making, reduces uncertainty and keeps operations aligned with long-term goals. - The planning and forecasting market benefited from the rising volume of structured and unstructured data across digital sources. - The report cites International Telecommunication Union data showing global mobile broadband traffic reached about 1 zettabyte in 2023 and is expected to near 1.3 zettabytes in 2024. - The ITU also said fixed broadband traffic rose from 5.1 zettabytes in 2023 to an estimated 6 zettabytes in 2024. - In 2025, North America held the largest share of the market. - Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region during the forecast period. - Other regions covered include South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East and Africa. - The 2026 report package also includes market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis, company scoring matrix graphics and tables, Excel-based dashboards, market hotspots infographics, and updated graphics and tables.

Between the lines: - The forecast suggests planning software is moving from a support function to a strategic layer in enterprise decision-making. - AI and cloud adoption are likely to widen the gap between firms using basic forecasting tools and those using integrated planning platforms. - The data-growth argument is strong because more traffic, transactions and operational inputs create more demand for models that can update quickly. - Regional growth patterns point to mature adoption in North America and faster catch-up in Asia-Pacific as digital transformation accelerates.

What's next: - Buyers should expect more tools that combine financial planning, operational forecasting and scenario modeling in one platform. - Vendors are likely to keep emphasizing AI, real-time analytics and cloud deployment in product development. - The market’s next phase appears tied to how quickly organizations replace spreadsheet-heavy workflows with integrated planning systems.

The bottom line: - Planning and forecasting is becoming a faster-growing enterprise software category as companies try to make decisions with less lag and more data.