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Q & A Security · September 3, 2026

What is the current benchmark cost of one hour of downtime?

ITIC’s 2024 Hourly Cost of Downtime Survey — the industry’s most-cited annual benchmark — puts the median mid/large enterprise (1,000+ employees) at above $300,000 per hour. 41% of surveyed organisations report $1M–$5M per hour, and top-of-industry sectors (banking, brokerage, healthcare, manufacturing, utilities) clear $5M per hour. Gartner’s older but still-cited $5,600/minute baseline (~$336K/hour) sits at the low end of ITIC’s mid-market band.

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Enterprise Downtime Costs $300K/hr — And Why That's a Floor
Cost of downtime is the single most-abused number in security-budget requests. It's also one of the most rigorously measured. ITIC's 2024 survey pins the median mid/large enterprise at over $300K/hour; the top of the industry table clears $5M/hour. Here's how the number is built, why Gartner's $5,600/min baseline still holds up, and how to calculate your own.
Related questions
How do I calculate my own hourly downtime cost? How does Gartner's $5,600/minute figure compare to ITIC's data? What are the main causes of unplanned enterprise downtime? What counts as downtime cost in these reports? Why is the $300K/hour figure called a floor and not a ceiling?