0.002
▼ 99.8% since 2006
cost of GPU computation in 2024, relative to 2006 (= 1)
20062024
What the chart shows
The cost of a unit of GPU computation in 2024 was about 0.2% of its 2006 level, a fall of 99.8%, according to the International Energy Agency. Most of the decline came early: costs fell 93% between 2006 and 2009, then kept falling more slowly.
Cheaper computation is what makes today’s training runs, with their rising power demands, economically possible.
Key numbers
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1.000 |
| 2009 | 0.068 |
| 2015 | 0.018 |
| 2024 | 0.002 |
How to read it
- Index of the cost per unit of GPU computation, 2006 = 1. The vertical axis is logarithmic, so steady percentage falls look like a straight line.
- Source: International Energy Agency (2025), Energy and AI, IEA, Paris.
Source: International Energy Agency (2025), Energy and AI, via the AI Index Report 2026 (Stanford HAI), figure 1.4.12: GPU computation cost, 2006–24. Chart and text by AI Adoption.
Numbers checked against the published data on 19 October 2026.
Download the data (CSV) · Cite this chart
Numbers checked against the published data on 19 October 2026.
Download the data (CSV) · Cite this chart
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