kids encyclopedia robot

List of tallest buildings facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Burj Khalifa
The 828-metre (2,717 ft) tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai has been the tallest building since 2010. The Burj Khalifa has been classified as megatall.
Tallest buildings 2022
A diagram showing the tallest buildings as of 2024

This is a list of the tallest buildings. Tall buildings, such as skyscrapers, are intended here as enclosed structures with continuously occupiable floors and a height of at least 340 metres (1,120 ft). Such definition excludes non-building structures, such as towers.

History

Historically, the world's tallest man-made structure was the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, which held the position for over 3800 years until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in 1311. The Strasbourg Cathedral in France, completed in 1439, was the world's tallest building until 1874.

The first skyscraper was pioneered in Chicago with the 138 ft (42.1 m) Home Insurance Building in 1885. The United States would remain the location of the world's tallest building throughout the 20th century until 1998, when the Petronas Towers were completed. Since then, two other buildings have gained the title: Taipei 101 in 2004 and Burj Khalifa in 2010. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia have experienced booms in skyscraper construction.

Ranking criteria and alternatives

The international non-profit organization Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) was formed in 1969 and announces the title of "The World's Tallest Building" and sets the standards by which buildings are measured. It maintains a list of the 100 tallest completed buildings in the world. The organization currently ranks Burj Khalifa in Dubai as the tallest at 828 m (2,717 ft). However, the CTBUH only recognizes buildings that are complete, and some buildings included within the lists in this article are not considered finished by the CTBUH.

In 1996, as a response to the dispute as to whether the Petronas Towers or the Sears Tower was taller, the council listed and ranked buildings in four categories:

  • height to structural or architectural top;
  • height to floor of highest occupied floor;
  • height to top of roof (removed as category in November 2009); and
  • height to top of any part of the building.

All categories measure the building from the level of the lowest significant open-air pedestrian entrance.

Spires are considered integral parts of the architectural design of buildings, changes to which would substantially change the appearance and design of the building, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The Petronas Towers, with their spires, are thus ranked higher than the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) with its antennas, despite the Petronas Towers' lower roofs and lower highest point.

Until 1996, the world's tallest building was defined by the height to the top of the tallest architectural element, including spires but not antennae. In 1930, this definitional argument led to a rivalry between the Bank of Manhattan Building and the Chrysler Building. The Bank of Manhattan Building (i.e. 40 Wall Street) employed only a short spire, was 282.5 m (927 ft) tall, and had a much higher top occupied floor (the second category in the 1996 criteria for tallest building). In contrast, the Chrysler Building employed a very large 38.1 m (125 ft) spire secretly assembled inside the building to claim the title of world's tallest building with a total height of 318.9 m (1,046 ft), although it had a lower top occupied floor and a shorter height when both buildings' spires were excluded.

Upset by Chrysler's victory, Shreve & Lamb, the consulting architects of the Bank of Manhattan Building, wrote a newspaper article claiming that their building was actually the tallest, since it contained the world's highest usable floor, at 255 m (837 ft). They pointed out that the observation deck in the Bank of Manhattan Building was nearly 30 m (98 ft) above the top floor in the Chrysler Building, whose surpassing spire was strictly ornamental and inaccessible.

The Burj Khalifa currently tops the list by some margin, regardless of which criterion is applied.

Tallest buildings in the world

As of 21 December 2024, this list includes all 97 buildings (completed and architecturally topped out) that reach a height of 340 m (1,120 ft) or more, as assessed by their highest architectural feature. The building is considered as architecturally topped out when it is under construction, structurally topped out, fully clad, and the highest finished architectural elements are in place.

Of these buildings, almost half are in China. Six of the last seven buildings to have held the record as 'tallest building' are still found in the list, with the exception being the North Tower of the original World Trade Center at 417 m (1,368 ft) after its destruction in the September 11 attacks of 2001. If the Twin Towers were never destroyed, and One World Trade Center was never built, the WTC towers would rank 36 and 37 on the list today.

Clear Denotes building that is or was once the tallest in the world
Name Height Floors Image City Country Year Ref
m ft
1 Burj Khalifa 828.0 m 2,717 ft 163 (+ 2 below ground) Burj Khalifa.jpg Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2010
2 Merdeka 118 678.9 m 2,227 ft 118 (+ 5 below ground) Merdeka 118 20230317.jpg Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 2023
3 Shanghai Tower 632.0 m 2,073 ft 128 (+ 5 below ground) Shanghai Tower in 2015 (2).jpg Shanghai  China 2015
4 Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower 601.0 m 1,972 ft 120 (+ 3 below ground) Abraj-al-Bait-Towers.JPG Mecca  Saudi Arabia 2012
5 Ping An International Finance Centre 599.1 m 1,966 ft 115 (+ 5 below ground) Pingan International Finance Center2020.jpg Shenzhen  China 2017
6 Lotte World Tower 554.5 m 1,819 ft 123 (+ 6 below ground) Lotte World Tower 2019.jpg Seoul  South Korea 2017
7 One World Trade Center 541.3 m 1,776 ft 94 (+ 5 below ground) New York and Jersey City Skyline Panorama Crop Edit - One World Trade Center.jpg New York City  United States 2014
8 Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre 530.0 1,740 111 (+ 5 below ground) Guangzhou CTF Finance Center.jpg Guangzhou  China 2016
Tianjin CTF Finance Centre 97 (+ 4 below ground) Tianjin CTF Finance Centre in 2019.jpg Tianjin 2019
10 CITIC Tower 527.7 m 1,731 ft 109 (+ 8 below ground) CITIC Tower 2021.jpg Beijing 2018
11 Taipei 101 508.0 m 1,667 ft 101 (+ 5 below ground) Taipei 101 in 2019.jpg Taipei  Taiwan 2004
12 Shanghai World Financial Center 492.0 m 1,614 ft 101 (+ 3 below ground) 上海国际金融中心.jpg Shanghai  China 2008
13 International Commerce Centre 484.0 m 1,588 ft 108 (+ 4 below ground) International Commerce Centre in 201008.jpg Hong Kong  Hong Kong 2010
14 Wuhan Greenland Center 475.6 m 1,560 ft 101 (+ 6 below ground) Wuhan Greenland Center.jpg Wuhan  China 2023
15 Central Park Tower 472.4 m 1,550 ft 98 (+ 4 below ground) Central Park Tower April 2021.jpg New York City  United States 2021
16 Lakhta Center 462.0 m 1,516 ft 87 (+ 3 below ground) Lakhta Center in 2018.jpg Saint Petersburg  Russia 2019
17 Landmark 81 461.2 m 1,513 ft 81 (+ 3 below ground) The Landmark 81 at night.jpg Ho Chi Minh City  Vietnam 2018
18 Chongqing International Land-Sea Center 458.0 m 1,503 ft 98 (+ 4 below ground) Chongqing  China 2024
19 The Exchange 106 453.6 m 1,488 ft 95 (+ 6 below ground) The Exchange 106 20230317.jpg Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 2019
20 Changsha IFS Tower T1 452.1 m 1,483 ft 94 (+ 5 below ground) Changsha IFS 2021.jpg Changsha  China 2018
21 Petronas Tower 1 451.9 1,483 88 (+ 5 below ground) The Twins SE Asia 2019 (49171985716) (cropped) 2.jpg Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 1998
Petronas Tower 2
23 Zifeng Tower 450.0 1,480 89 (+ 5 below ground) Zifeng Tower in 2017.jpg Nanjing  China 2010
Suzhou IFS 95 (+ 5 below ground) Suzhou IFS 2018.jpg Suzhou 2019
25 Wuhan Center 443.1 m 1,454 ft 88 (+ 4 below ground) Wuhan Center 201704.jpg Wuhan 2019
26 Willis Tower 442.1 m 1,450 ft 108 (+ 3 below ground) Willis Tower From Lake.jpg Chicago  United States 1974
27 KK100 441.8 m 1,449 ft 98 (+ 4 below ground) KK100 exterior southeast.jpg Shenzhen  China 2011
28 Guangzhou International Finance Center 438.6 m 1,439 ft 101 (+ 4 below ground) Guangzhou International Finance Center.jpg Guangzhou 2010
29 111 West 57th Street 435.3 m 1,428 ft 84 (+ 2 below ground) 111 West 57th Street.png New York City  United States 2021
30 Shandong International Financial Center 428 m 1,404 ft 88 (+ 4 below ground) Jinan  China 2023 -->
31 One Vanderbilt 427.0 m 1,401 ft 62 (+ 4 below ground) One Vanderbilt in April 2021 (2).jpg New York City  United States 2020
32 432 Park Avenue 425.7 m 1,397 ft 85 (+ 3 below ground) 432 Park Avenue, NY (cropped)2.jpg 2015
33 Marina 101 425.0 m 1,394 ft 101 (+ 6 below ground) Marina 101.jpg Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2017
34 Trump International Hotel and Tower 423.2 m 1,388 ft 98 (+ 2 below ground) Trump International Hotel and Tower 2022.jpg Chicago  United States 2009
35 Dongguan International Trade Center 1 422.6 m 1,386 ft 85 (+ 3 below ground) Minying International Trade Center T2 in 2021.jpg Dongguan  China 2021
36 Jin Mao Tower 420.5 m 1,380 ft 88 (+ 3 below ground) Jin Mao Tower 2007.jpg Shanghai 1999
37 Princess Tower 413.4 m 1,356 ft 101 (+ 6 below ground) Princess Tower.jpg Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2012
38 Al Hamra Tower 412.6 m 1,354 ft 80 (+ 3 below ground) Al Hamra Tower.jpg Kuwait City  Kuwait 2011
39 Two International Finance Centre 412.0 m 1,352 ft 88 (+ 6 below ground) HK International Finance Centre 200809 3.jpg Hong Kong  Hong Kong 2003
40 Haeundae LCT The Sharp Landmark Tower 411.6 m 1,350 ft 101 (+ 5 below ground) Haeundae LCT The Sharp 20200522.jpg Busan  South Korea 2019
41 Guangxi China Resources Tower 402.7 m 1,321 ft 86 (+ 3 below ground) Nanning  China 2020
42 Guiyang International Financial Center T1 401.0 m 1,316 ft 79 (+ 5 below ground) Guiyang International Financial Center.jpg Guiyang 2020
43 Iconic Tower 393.8 m 1,292 ft 77 (+ 2 below ground) New Administrative Capital  Egypt 2023
44 China Resources Tower 392.5 m 1,288 ft 68 (+ 5 below ground) China Resources Headquarters in Dec 2020.jpg Shenzhen  China 2018
45 23 Marina 392.4 m 1,287 ft 88 (+ 4 below ground) 23 Marina.jpg Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2012
46 CITIC Plaza 390.2 m 1,280 ft 80 (+ 2 below ground) CITIC Plaza 2017.jpg Guangzhou  China 1996
47 Citymark Centre 388.3 m 1,274 ft 70 (+ 7 below ground) Shenzhen 2022
48 Shum Yip Upperhills Tower 1 388.1 m 1,273 ft 80 (+ 3 below ground) Shum Yip Upperhills Towers2020.jpg 2020
49 30 Hudson Yards 387.1 m 1,270 ft 73 (+ 1 below ground) 30 Hudson Yards in 2021.jpg New York City  United States 2019
50 Public Investment Fund Tower 385.0 m 1,263 ft 72 (+ 4 below ground) Riyadh  Saudi Arabia 2021
51 Shun Hing Square 384.0 m 1,260 ft 69 (+ 3 below ground) Shun Hing Square 2021.jpg Shenzhen  China 1996
52 Eton Place Dalian Tower 1 383.2 m 1,257 ft 80 (+ 4 below ground) Eton Place Dalian Tower, Aug2018(cropped).jpg Dalian 2016
53 Autograph Tower 382.9 m 1,256 ft 75 (+ 6 below ground) Autograph Tower, Jakarta, ID – July 2022.png Jakarta  Indonesia 2022
54 Logan Century Center 1 381.3 m 1,251 ft 82 (+ 4 below ground) Nanning  China 2018
55 Burj Mohammed bin Rashid 381.2 m 1,251 ft 88 (+ 5 below ground) Abu Dhabi  United Arab Emirates 2014
56 Empire State Building 381.0 m 1,250 ft 102 (+ 1 below ground) Empire State Building cropped.jpg New York City  United States 1931
57 Elite Residence 380.5 m 1,248 ft 87 (+ 4 below ground) Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2012
58 Riverview Plaza 376.0 m 1,234 ft 73 (+ 3 below ground) Wuhan  China 2021
59 Dabaihui Plaza 375.6 m 1,232 ft 70 (+ 4 below ground) Dabaihui Plaza in 2021.jpg Shenzhen 2021
60 Central Plaza 373.9 m 1,227 ft 78 (+ 3 below ground) Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre 200906(cropped).jpg Hong Kong  Hong Kong 1992
61 Federation Tower (East Tower) 373.7 m 1,226 ft 93 (+ 4 below ground) Federation Tower 2022.jpg Moscow  Russia 2016
62 Hengfeng Guiyang Center Tower 1 373.5 m 1,225 ft 77 (+ 5 below ground) Guiyang  China 2023 -->
63 Dalian International Trade Center 370.2 m 1,215 ft 86 (+ 7 below ground) Dalian International Trade Center, Aug2018 (cropped).jpg Dalian 2019
64 Address Boulevard 370.0 m 1,214 ft 73 (+ 3 below ground) The Address Boulevard.jpg Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2017
65 Haitian Center Tower 2 368.9 m 1,210 ft 73 (+ 6 below ground) Qingdao Haitian Center in June 2021.jpg Qingdao  China 2021
66 Golden Eagle Tiandi Tower A 368.1 m 1,208 ft 77 (+ 4 below ground) 南京河西金鹰大楼.jpg Nanjing 2019
67 Bank of China Tower 367.4 m 1,205 ft 72 (+ 4 below ground) HK Bank of China Tower 2008 (2).jpg Hong Kong  Hong Kong 1990
68 Bank of America Tower 365.8 m 1,200 ft 55 (+ 3 below ground) Midtown Manhattan and Times Square district 2015 (2).jpg New York City  United States 2009
69 St. Regis Chicago 362.9 m 1,191 ft 92 (+ 5 below ground) St.Regis Chicago.jpg Chicago 2020
70 Almas Tower 360.0 m 1,181 ft 68 (+ 5 below ground) Almas Tower.jpg Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2008
70 Jinan Ping An Finance Center Tower 1 360 m 1,181 ft 62 (+ 3 below ground) Jinan  China 2023
71 Hanking Center 358.9 m 1,177 ft 65 (+ 5 below ground) Hanking Center2021.jpg Shenzhen 2018
72 Greenland Group Suzhou Center 358.0 m 1,175 ft 77 (+ 3 below ground) Suzhou 2022
73 Gevora Hotel 356.3 m 1,169 ft 75 (+ 2 below ground) Gevora Hotel.jpg Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2017
74 Galaxy World Tower 1 356.0 1,168 71 (+ 5 below ground) Shenzhen  China 2023
Galaxy World Tower 2
Il Primo Tower 356.0 m 1,168 ft 79 Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2022
77 JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Tower 1 355.4 1,166 82 (+ 2 below ground) JW Marriott Marquis Dubai2.jpg 2012
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Tower 2 2013
79 Emirates Office Tower 354.6 m 1,163 ft 54 2000
80 Raffles City Chongqing T3N 354.5 1,163 79 (+ 3 below ground) Raffles City Chongqing from Yangtze River(cropped).jpg Chongqing  China 2019
Raffles City Chongqing T4N 74 (+ 3 below ground)
82 OKO – South Tower 354.2 m 1,162 ft 90 (+ 2 below ground) Oko towers1.jpg Moscow  Russia 2015
83 The Marina Torch 352.0 m 1,155 ft 86 (+ 4 below ground) The Marina Torch.jpg Dubai  United Arab Emirates 2011
84 Forum 66 Tower 1 350.6 m 1,150 ft 68 (+ 4 below ground) Forum 66, Shenyang, Oct2014.png Shenyang  China 2015
85 The Pinnacle 350.3 m 1,149 ft 60 (+ 6 below ground) 花城汇 音乐喷泉 (2013-10-26) - panoramio Pinnacle(cropped).jpg Guangzhou 2012
86 Xi'an Glory International Financial Center 350.0 m 1,148 ft 75 (+ 4 below ground) Xi'an 2021
87 Spring City 66 349.0 m 1,145 ft 61 (+ 4 below ground) 昆明市恒隆广场02(cropped).jpg Kunming 2020
88 85 Sky Tower 347.5 m 1,140 ft 85 (+ 5 below ground) Kaohsiung Taiwan Kaohsiung-85-Building-01.jpg Kaoshiung  Taiwan 1997
89 Aon Center 346.3 m 1,136 ft 83 (+ 5 below ground) Aon Center 2014.jpg Chicago  United States 1973
90 The Center 346.0 m 1,135 ft 73 (+ 3 below ground) The Center 2018.jpg Hong Kong  China 1998
91 Neva Tower 2 345.0 m 1,132 ft 79 (+ 3 below ground) Neva Towers 2022(cropped).jpg Moscow  Russia 2020
92 875 North Michigan Avenue (formerly John Hancock Center) 343.7 m 1,128 ft 100 (+ 1 below ground) John Hancock Center viewed from Navy Pier(cropped).jpg Chicago  United States 1969
93 Shimao Global Financial Center 343.0 m 1,125 ft 74 (+ 4 below ground) Shimao Global Financial Center.jpg Changsha  China 2020
94 Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur 342.5 m 1,124 ft 75 (+ 4 below ground) Four Seasons Place as seen from Vipod Residences (rotate).jpg Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 2018
95 ADNOC Headquarters 342 m 1,122 ft 65 (+ 2 below ground) Abu Dhabi  United Arab Emirates 2015
96 Comcast Technology Center 341.7 1,121 60 View of Center City (Comcast Technology Center).jpg Philadelphia  United States 2018
97 One Shenzhen Bay Tower 7 341.4 m 1,120 ft 71 (+ 3 below ground) Peng Rui One Shenzhen Bay2021.jpg Shenzhen  China 2018

Alternative measurements

Height to pinnacle (highest point)

Tallest Buildings in the World by pinnacle height
Tallest buildings by pinnacle height, including all masts, poles, antennae, etc. in 2014

This measurement disregards distinctions between architectural and non-architectural extensions, and simply measures to the highest point, irrespective of material or function of the highest element.

This measurement is useful for air traffic obstacle determinations, and is also a wholly objective measure. However, this measurement includes extensions that are easily added, removed, and modified from a building and are independent of the overall structure.

This measurement only recently came into use, when the Petronas Towers passed the Sears Tower (now named Willis Tower) in height. The former was considered taller because its spires were considered architectural, while the latter's antennae were not. This led to the split of definitions, with the Sears Tower claiming the lead in this and the height-to-roof (now highest occupied floor) categories, and with the Petronas claiming the lead in the architectural height category.

If the World Trade Center towers were still standing, the North (1,368 feet (417 m)) and South Towers (1,362 feet (415.1 m)) would fall between numbers 35 and 36 on the current list (it can be assumed the rebuilt One World Trade Center would have never been built).

Denotes building with pinnacle height higher than architectural
Rank Building City Country Height Floors Built
1 Burj Khalifa Dubai  United Arab Emirates 829.8 m 2,722 ft 163 2010
2 Merdeka 118† Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 680.1 m 2,231 ft 118 2023
3 Shanghai Tower Shanghai  China 632 m 2,073 ft 128 2015
4 Abraj Al-Bait Towers Mecca  Saudi Arabia 601 m 1,971 ft 120 2012
5 Ping An Finance Center Shenzhen  China 599.1 m 1,965 ft 115 2016
6 Lotte World Tower Seoul  South Korea 555.7 m 1,823 ft 123 2016
7 One World Trade Center New York City  United States 546.2 m 1,792 ft 104 2014
8 Tianjin CTF Finance Centre† Tianjin  China 530.4 m 1,740 ft 98 2019
9 Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre Guangzhou  China 530 m 1,739 ft 111 2016
10 China Zun Beijing  China 528 m 1,732 ft 108 2018
11 Willis Tower Chicago  United States 527 m 1,729 ft 108 1974
12 Taipei 101 Taipei  Taiwan 508 m 1,667 ft 101 2004
13 Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai  China 494.3 m 1,622 ft 101 2008
14 International Commerce Centre Hong Kong  China 484 m 1,588 ft 118 2010
15 Wuhan Greenland Center Wuhan  China 475.6 m 1,560 ft 97 2021
16 Central Park Tower New York City  United States 472.4 m 1,550 ft 98 2020
17 Landmark 81† Ho Chi Minh City  Vietnam 469.5 m 1,540 ft 81 2018
18 Lakhta Center St. Petersburg  Russia 462 m 1,516 ft 86 2019
19 International Land-Sea Center Chongqing  China 458.2 m 1,503 ft 98 2022
20 John Hancock Center Chicago  United States 456.9 m 1,499 ft 100 1969
21 The Exchange 106 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 453.6 m 1,488 ft 95 2019
22 Changsha IFS Tower T1 Changsha  China 452.1 m 1,483 ft 94 2018
23 Petronas Tower 1 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 451.9 m 1,483 ft 88 1998
23 Petronas Tower 2 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 451.9 m 1,483 ft 88 1998
25 Zifeng Tower Nanjing  China 450 m 1,476 ft 89 2010
25 Suzhou IFS Suzhou  China 450 m 1,476 ft 98 2019
27 Empire State Building New York City  United States 443.2 m 1,454 ft 102 1931
28 Kingkey 100 Shenzhen  China 441.8 m 1,449 ft 100 2011
29 Guangzhou International Finance Center Guangzhou  China 438.6 m 1,445 ft 103 2009
30 Wuhan Center Wuhan  China 438 m 1,437 ft 88 2019
31 111 West 57th Street New York City  United States 435.3 m 1,428 ft 82 2020
32 Dongguan International Trade Center 1 Dongguan  China 426.9 m 1,401 ft 88 2020
33 One Vanderbilt New York City  United States 427 m 1,401 ft 58 2020
34 432 Park Avenue New York City  United States 425.5 m 1,396 ft 85 2015
35 Marina 101 Dubai  United Arab Emirates 425 m 1,394 ft 101 2017
36 Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago  United States 423.2 m 1,388 ft 96 2009
37 Jin Mao Tower Shanghai  China 421 m 1,381 ft 88 1998
38 Princess Tower† Dubai  United Arab Emirates 414 m 1,358 ft 101 2012
39 Al Hamra Tower Kuwait City  Kuwait 412.6 m 1,354 ft 80 2010
40 Two International Finance Centre Hong Kong  China 412 m 1,352 ft 88 2003
41 Haeundae LCT The Sharp Landmark Tower Busan  South Korea 411.6 m 1,350 ft 101 2019
42 Guangxi China Resources Tower Nanning  China 402.7 m 1,321 ft 85 2019
43 Guiyang Financial Center Tower 1 Guiyang  China 401 m 1,316 ft 79 2021

Height to occupied floor

Highest occupied floor 2022
Tallest buildings by highest occupied floor in 2022.

This height is measured to the highest occupiable floor within the building.

Rank Building City Country Height Floors Built
1 Burj Khalifa Dubai  United Arab Emirates 585.4 m (1,921 ft) 163 2010
2 Shanghai Tower Shanghai  China 583.4 m (1,914 ft) 128 2015
3 Ping An Finance Center Shenzhen  China 562.2 m (1,844 ft) 115 2016
4 China Zun Beijing  China 515.5 m (1,691 ft) 108 2018
5 Merdeka 118 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 502.8 m (1,650 ft) 118 2023
6 Lotte World Tower Seoul  South Korea 497.6 m (1,633 ft) 123 2016
7 Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre Guangzhou  China 495.5 m (1,626 ft) 111 2016
8 Abraj Al-Bait Towers Mecca  Saudi Arabia 494.4 m (1,622 ft) 120 2012
9 Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai  China 474 m (1,555 ft) 101 2008
10 International Commerce Centre Hong Kong  China 468.8 m (1,538 ft) 118 2010
11 Tianjin CTF Finance Centre Tianjin  China 439.4 m (1,442 ft) 97 2018
12 Taipei 101 Taipei  Taiwan 438 m (1,437 ft) 101 2004
13 Central Park Tower New York City  United States 431.8 m (1,417 ft) 98 2020
14 Changsha IFS Tower T1 Changsha  China 431 m (1,414 ft) 94 2017
15 International Land-Sea Center Chongqing  China 429.8 m (1,410 ft) 98 2022
16 KK100 Shenzhen  China 427.1 m (1,401 ft) 98 2011
17 Guangzhou International Finance Center Guangzhou  China 415.1 m (1,362 ft) 101 2010
18 Willis Tower Chicago  United States 412.7 m (1,354 ft) 108 1974

Height to roof

This list of tallest buildings by height to roof ranks completed skyscrapers by height to roof which reach a height of 300 metres (984 ft) or more. Only buildings with continuously occupiable floors are included, thus non-building structures including towers, are not included. Some assessments of the tallest building use 'height to roof' to determine tallest building, as 'architectural feature' is regarded as a subjective and an imprecise comparative measure. However, in November 2009, the CTBUH stopped using the roof height as the metric for tall buildings because modern tall buildings rarely have a part of the building that can categorically be deemed the roof.

Rank Building City Country Height (m) Height (ft) Floors Built Reference
1 Burj Khalifa Dubai  UAE 739.4 m 2,426 ft 163 2010
2 Shanghai Tower Shanghai  China 587.4 m 2,073 ft 127 2015
3 Ping An Finance Center Shenzhen  China 562 m 1,821 ft 115 2016
4 Abraj Al-Bait Towers Mecca  Saudi Arabia 530.0 m 1,740 ft 120 2012
5 Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre Guangzhou  China 530 m 1,739 ft 111 2016
6 Tianjin CTF Finance Centre Tianjin  China 530 m 1,739 ft 97 2019
7 Merdeka 118 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 520.9 m 1,709 ft 118 2023
8 Lotte World Tower Seoul  South Korea 497.6 m 1,633 ft 123 2016
9 Shanghai World Financial Center Shanghai  China 487.41 m 1,599 ft 101 2008
10 International Commerce Centre Hong Kong  Hong Kong 479.83 m 1,574 ft 118 2010
11 Central Park Tower New York City  United States 472.44 m 1,550 ft 131 2019
12 Taipei 101 Taipei  Taiwan 449.20 m 1,471 ft 101 2004
13 Willis Tower Chicago  United States 442.14 m 1,451 ft 108 1974
14 KK100 Shenzhen  China 442.0 m 1,449 ft 100 2011 -->
15 Guangzhou International Finance Center Guangzhou  China 432.00 m 1,417 ft 103 2009
16 432 Park Avenue New York City  United States 425.5 m 1,396 ft 96 2015 -->
17 One World Trade Center New York City  United States 417.0 m 1,368 ft 104 2014
18 International Finance Centre Hong Kong  Hong Kong 401.1 m 1,316 ft 88 2003
21 Princess Tower Dubai  UAE 392.0 m 1,286 ft 101 2012
22 Jin Mao Tower Shanghai  China 382.5 m 1,255 ft 88 1998
23 Zifeng Tower Nanjing  China 381.3 m 1,251 ft 89 2009
24 Empire State Building New York City  United States 381.0 m 1,250 ft 102 1931
25= Petronas Tower 1 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 378.5 m 1,250 ft 88 1998
25= Petronas Tower 2 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 378.5 m 1,250 ft 88 1998
26 Marina 101 Dubai  UAE 371.0 m 1,207 ft 80 2014
27 Al Hamra Tower Kuwait City  Kuwait 368.0 m 1,207 ft 80 2011
28 Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago  United States 357.8 m 1,174 ft 96 2009
29 Tuntex Sky Tower Kaohsiung  Taiwan 347.5 m 1,140 ft 85 1997
30 Aon Center Chicago  United States 346.25 m 1,136 ft 83 1973
31 John Hancock Center Chicago  United States 343.5 m 1,127 ft 100 1969
32 Mercury City Tower Moscow  Russia 339.0 m 1,112 ft 75 2012
33 China World Trade Center Tower 3 Beijing  China 333.0 m 1,093 ft 74 2008
34 Ryugyong Hotel Pyongyang  North Korea 330.0 m 1,083 ft 105 1992
35 The Index Dubai  UAE 328.0 m 1,076 ft 80 2009
36 Shun Hing Square Shenzhen  China 324.8 m 1,066 ft 69 1996
37 Four Seasons Place KLCC Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 323 m 1,076 ft 74 2018
38 CITIC Plaza Guangzhou  China 321.9 m 1,056 ft 80 1997
39 Nina Tower Hong Kong  Hong Kong 318.8 m 1,046 ft 80 2006
40 Rose Tower Dubai  UAE 315.0 m 1,033 ft 72 2008
41 Bank of China Tower Hong Kong  Hong Kong 315.0 m 1,033 ft 72 1990
42 Bank of America Plaza Atlanta  United States 311.8 m 1,023 ft 55 1992
43 Emirates Office Tower Dubai  UAE 311.0 m 1,020 ft 56 2000
44 U.S. Bank Tower Los Angeles  United States 310.3 m 1,018 ft 73 1989
45 Menara Telekom Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 309.9 m 1,017 ft 55 2001
46 Almas Tower Dubai  UAE 310.0 m 1,017 ft 74 2008
47 The Shard London  United Kingdom 310.0 m 1,017 ft 72 2012
48 Varso Tower Warsaw  Poland 310.0 m 1,017 ft 53 2022
49 Central Plaza Hong Kong  Hong Kong 309.0 m 1,014 ft 78 1992
50 One57 New York City  United States 306m 1,005 ft 73 2014
51 The Address Downtown Burj Khalifa Dubai  UAE 306.0 m 1,004 ft 78 2008
52 JPMorgan Chase Tower Houston  United States 305.4 m 1,002 ft 75 1982
53 Northeast Asia Trade Tower Incheon  South Korea 305.1 m 1,001 ft 68 2010
54 Baiyoke Tower II Bangkok  Thailand 304.0 m 997 ft 85 1997
55 Wells Fargo Plaza Houston  United States 302.4 m 992 ft 71 1983
56 Kingdom Centre Riyadh  Saudi Arabia 302.0 m 991 ft 41 2002
57 Moscow Tower Moscow  Russia 302.0 m 989 ft 76 2010 -->

Buildings under construction

This is a list of buildings taller than 350 m that are currently under construction. On-hold buildings whose construction was interrupted after it had reached a significantly advanced state are listed in a separate table.

Under construction

Rank Building Planned architectural height Floors Planned completion Country City Ref.
1 Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co Residences 595 m (1,952 ft) 105 2026  UAE Dubai
2 The Line 500 m (1,640 ft.)  ? 2030  Saudi Arabia Neom
3 China International Silk Road Center 498 m (1,634 ft) 101 2025  China Xi'an
4 Fuyuan Zhongshan 108 IFC 498 m (1,634 ft) 108 2029  China Zhongshan
5 Panda Tower - Tianfu Center 488.9 m (1,604 ft) 95 2026  China Chengdu
6 North Bund Tower 480 m (1,575 ft) 97 2027  China Shanghai
7 Torre Rise 475 m (1,559 ft) 88 2026  Mexico Monterrey
8 Wuhan CTF Centre 475 m (1,558 ft) 84 2026  China Wuhan
9 Fosun Bund Center T1 470 m (1,540 ft)  ?  ?  China Wuhan
10 Suzhou Center North Tower 470 m (1,540 ft)  ? 2024  China Suzhou
11 Guohua Financial Center Tower 1 465 m (1,526 ft) 79  ?  China Wuhan
12 China Resources Land Center 450 m (1,480 ft) 98  ?  China Dongguan
13 One Bangkok 436.1 m (1,431 ft) 92 2025  Thailand Bangkok
14 Burj Almasa 432 m (1,417 ft) 93 2027  Saudi Arabia Jeddah
15 Shandong International Financial Center 428 m (1,404 ft) 88 2023  China Jinan
16 Haikou Tower 1 428 m (1,404 ft) 93 2027  China Haikou
17 Nanjing Financial City Tower 1 426 m (1,398 ft) 88 2024  China Nanjing
18 JPMorgan Chase Building 423 m (1,388 ft) 63 2025  United States New York City
19 Ningbo Center Tower 1 409 m (1,342 ft) 80 2024  China Ningbo
20 Wuhan Yangtze River Center Tower 400 m (1,300 ft) 82 2025  China Wuhan
21 Mukaab 400 m (1,300 ft) ? 2030  Saudi Arabia Riyadh
22 Hangzhou West Railway Station Hub Tower 1 399.8 m (1,312 ft) 83  ?  China Hangzhou
23 Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base Tower C-1 394 m (1,293 ft) 78 2027  China Shenzhen
24 Iconic Tower 393.8 m (1,292 ft) 77 2023  Egypt Cairo
25 Haiyun Plaza Tower 1 390 m (1,280 ft) 86 2024  China Rizhao
26 China Merchants Bank Global Headquarters 387.4 m (1,271 ft) 74 ?  China Shenzhen
27 Tour F 385.8 m (1,266 ft) 64 ?  Ivory Coast Abidjan
28 Shekou Prince Bay Tower 380 m (1,250 ft) 70  ?  China Shenzhen
29 Shenzhen Luohu Friendship Trading Centre 379.9 m (1,246 ft) 83 ?  China Shenzhen
30 Guangdong Business Center 375.5 m (1,232 ft) 60 2024  China Guangzhou
31 China Merchants Prince Bay Tower 374 m (1,227 ft) 59 2028  China Shenzhen
32 Shanghai International Trade Center Tower 1 370 m (1,210 ft) 67 2024  China Shanghai
33 Lucheng Square 369 m (1,211 ft) 75  ?  China Wenzhou
34 Taipei Twin Tower 1 369 m (1,211 ft) 74 2027  Taiwan Taipei
35 Hengli Global Operations Headquarters Tower 1 369 m (1,211 ft)  ? 2024  China Suzhou
36 Ciel Tower 365.5 m (1,199 ft) 81 2023  UAE Dubai
37 Huiyun Center 359.2 m (1,178 ft) 80 2022  China Shenzhen
38 Naga Tower 1 358 m (1,175 ft) 70 2026  Cambodia Phnom Penh
39 City Tower 1 358 m (1,175 ft) 94 2025  UAE Dubai
40 Fosun Bund Center T2 356 m (1,168 ft)  ?  ?  China Wuhan
41 Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base Tower C-2 355.7 m (1,167 ft) 68 2027  China Shenzhen
42 Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Building 352 m (1,155 ft) 59 2024  Turkey Istanbul
43 Guohong Center 350 m (1,150 ft) 71 2025  China Wenzhou
44 Guowei ZY Plaza 350 m (1,150 ft) 62  ?  China Zhuhai
45 China Resources Huafu Tower 350 m (1,150 ft)  ?  ?  China Shenzhen
46 Poly Liangxi Plaza 350 m (1,150 ft)  ?  ?  China Foshan

On Hold

Rank Building Planned architectural height Floors Planned completion Country City Ref.
1 Jeddah Tower 1,000 m (3,300 ft) 167+ ?  Saudi Arabia Jeddah
2 Goldin Finance 117 597 m (1,959 ft) 117  ?  China Tianjin
3 Pentominium Tower 516 m (1,693 ft) 122 2027  UAE Dubai
4 Greenland Jinmao International Financial Center 499.8 m (1,640 ft) 102 2025  China Nanjing
5 Suzhou Zhongnan Center 499.2 m (1,638 ft) 103 2025  China Suzhou
6 HeXi Yuzui Tower A 498.8 m (1,636 ft) 84 2025  China Nanjing
7 Chushang Building 475 m (1,558 ft) 111 2025  China Wuhan
8 Chengdu Greenland Tower 468 m (1,535 ft) 101 2024  China Chengdu
9 Marina 106 445 m (1,460 ft) 104 2026  UAE Dubai
10 Greenland Center Tower 1 428 m (1,404 ft) ? ?  China Kunming
11 Dongfeng Plaza Landmark Tower 407 m (1,335 ft) 100 2024  China Kunming
12 Icon Towers 1 384 m (1,260 ft) 77 2029  Indonesia Jakarta
13 Greenland Star City Light Tower 379.9 m (1,246 ft) 83 2025  China Changsha
14 Ping An IFC 373 m (1,224 ft)  ?  ?  China Nanchang
15 Global Port Tower 1 350 m (1,150 ft)  ? 2024  China Lanzhou
15= Global Port Tower 2 350 m (1,150 ft)  ? 2024  China Lanzhou

List by continent

The following list shows the tallest completed buildings located on each continent listed by greatest to least height (click on name of continent for continent-specific list):

Continent Building Height Floor count Completed Country City
Asia Burj Khalifa 828 m (2,717 ft) 163 2010  United Arab Emirates Dubai
North America One World Trade Center 541.3 m (1,776 ft) 94 2014  United States New York City
Europe Lakhta Center 462 m (1,516 ft) 86 2018  Russia Saint Petersburg
Africa Iconic Tower 393.8 m (1,292 ft) 79 2023  Egypt New Administrative Capital
Oceania Q1 323 m (1,060 ft) 78 2005  Australia Gold Coast
South America Gran Torre Santiago 300 m (980 ft) 64 2012  Chile Santiago
Antarctica Long Duration Balloon (LDB) Payload Preparation Buildings 15 m (49 ft) 1 2005 - McMurdo Station

Countries with most buildings on list

The following list shows the countries whose buildings are featured on the main list of world's tallest buildings (first list featured above), in order from most amount of buildings on the list to least amount of buildings on the list.

Rank Country Number of skyscrapers on list City with most skyscrapers on list Tallest building Height of tallest building
1  China 50 Shenzhen Shanghai Tower 632.0 m (2,073.5 ft)
2  United Arab Emirates 14 Dubai Burj Khalifa 828.0 m (2,716.5 ft)
3  United States 13 New York City One World Trade Center 541.3 m (1,776 ft)
4  Malaysia 5 Kuala Lumpur Merdeka 118 678.9 m (2,227 ft)
5  Russia 4 Moscow Lakhta Center 462.0 m (1,515.7 ft)
6  Saudi Arabia 2 Mecca; Riyadh Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower 601.0 m (1,971.8 ft)
 South Korea 2 Seoul; Busan Lotte World Tower 554.5 m (1,819 ft)
 Taiwan 2 Taipei; Kaoshiung Taipei 101 508.0 m (1,666.7 ft)
9  Vietnam 1 Ho Chi Minh City Landmark 81 461.2 m (1,513 ft)
 Kuwait 1 Kuwait City Al Hamra Tower 412.6 m (1,354 ft)
 Egypt 1 New Administrative Capital Iconic Tower 393.8 m (1,292 ft)
 Indonesia 1 Jakarta Autograph Tower 382.9 m (1,256 ft)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Rascacielos más altos del mundo para niños

  • List of tallest freestanding structures
  • List of tallest towers
  • List of supertall skyscrapers
  • List of buildings with 100 floors or more
  • History of the world's tallest buildings
  • Skyscraper Index
  • Vanity height
  • List of tallest buildings in Europe
  • List of tallest buildings in Asia
  • List of tallest buildings in Oceania
  • List of tallest buildings in North America
  • List of tallest buildings in South America
  • List of tallest buildings in Africa
kids search engine
List of tallest buildings Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.