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State and Local IT Spending Forecast: Education, HHS Top the List

A look at where governments will open their wallets in 2017.

Education and health and human services are poised to be the single largest verticals of government IT spending at the state and local levels in 2017, according to research from the Center for Digital Government.*

The two areas together will likely account for nearly $50 billion, according to the center. That will happen as government agencies, school districts and higher education systems reach to accommodate more people and continue to shift to digital services.

The research, which the center is unveiling next week at the Beyond the Beltway conference in Washington, D.C., focused on seven verticals. Aside from education and health and human services, the center projects that state and local government will spend more than $41 billion on administration and finance, public safety and justice, the environment and natural resources, transportation and public works.

Some emerging technology could help drive spending in those areas too — public safety will be looking to work more with data and video, for example, while utilities are faced with an increasing number of options among Internet of Things devices and services.



2017 Estimated GovTech IT Spend
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*The Center for Digital Government is part of e.Republic, Government Technology's parent company. 

Ben Miller is the associate editor of data and business for Government Technology. His reporting experience includes breaking news, business, community features and technical subjects. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, and lives in Sacramento, Calif.