In this article, we will look at the 25 cities with tallest buildings in the world. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Cities with Tallest Buildings in the World.
An Overview of the Global Construction Industry
The construction industry is critical in determining a country’s economic outlook as it moves various related industries, including the construction materials, commercial, and residential sectors. According to a report by Next Move Strategy Consulting, the global construction market was valued at $2.32 trillion in 2023. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.9% during the forecasted period to reach $3.58 trillion by 2030. Economic expansion is one of the leading factors driving growth in the industry.
The Asia-Pacific region is growing strongly due to heavy infrastructural investment from emerging economies, including India and China. On February 29, Reuters reported India, the 2nd fastest-growing economy in Asia, grew 8.4% from October 2023 to December 2023, beating the estimated growth of 6.6% for the quarter. The growth was mainly attributed to the country’s strong manufacturing and construction activity. Moreover, in another report by Reuters on February 1, the Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the interim budget, unveiled the government’s plan to invest $134 billion in infrastructure development and long-term reforms to drive growth. This allocation was up by 11.1% year on year compared to the last budget.
Tallest buildings in the World
Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest building in the world. It is situated in Dubai and is 828 meters high. The construction of Burj Khalifa was completed in 2010; before its construction, the TAIPEI 101 in Taipei, a city in Taiwan, held the title of the tallest building in the world with a height of 508 meters. Moreover, one of our previous articles about cities with the most skyscrapers in the world found Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, to be the city of skyscrapers, with 554 fully constructed 150 meters plus buildings.
New York is among the top cities with the tallest buildings in the world, with 317 buildings having a height of more than 150 meters. Currently, the One World Trade Center is the city’s tallest building, with a height of approximately 541 meters. On January 27, CNN reported while New York and Chicago are recognized to have the ten tallest buildings in the US, a group of developers have proposed to build America’s tallest building in Oklahoma City. The proposed ‘Legends Tower’ will be approximately 581 meters high and more than double the height of the current tallest building in Oklahoma City, which is Devon Energy Center and is only 257 meters high. If you want to read about skyscrapers, you can look at the 20 Countries With the Most Skyscrapers.
Leading Construction Companies in the World
Vinci SA (EPA:DG), Skanska AB (STO:SKA-B), and China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (SHA:601668) are some of the leading construction companies in the world.
Vinci SA (EPA:DG) is a leading integrated construction and concessions company based in Paris, France. The company operates through its subsidiaries in energy, concessions, and construction businesses worldwide. Vinci SA’s (EPA:DG) construction portfolio includes transport system projects, public and private buildings, energy facilities, airports, and urban development. On April 19, Vinci SA (EPA:DG) announced the acquisition of the Northwest Parkway section of the Denver ring road in Colorado, USA, by its subsidiary Vinci Highways. The company successfully acquired 100% equity of NWP HoldCo LLC, the concession company for the Northwest Parkway, for approximately $1.2 billion. This deal is one of the major and first-ever acquisitions in the USA and is said to be a long-term and high-value asset for the company.
Skanska AB (STO:SKA-B) is one of the largest construction companies in the world. It is based in Stockholm, Sweden. The company operates through four business segments: construction, residential development, commercial property, and investment property. Skanska AB (STO:SKA-B) leads construction projects in Europe, the Nordic region, and the United States of America. On April 25, Skanska AB (STO:SKA-B) reported signing a contract with the Central Group to construct a residential complex in Prague, Czech Republic. The construction contract is worth CZK 1.3 billion and consists of 7 buildings of 6-12 floors each. The new residential complex will have 373 apartments and a 3-story underground parking facility. The project will commence in May 2024 and is expected to be completed by the autumn of 2026.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (SHA:601668) is another leading construction and investment company based in Beijing, China. Through its various subsidiaries, the company engages in construction engineering, infrastructure construction and investment, real estate development, and construction design projects around the globe. On April 22, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (SHA:601668) announced the launch of multiple projects in Kazakhstan. The projects under construction and ready for commencement include the TKU Highway Project, the refurbishment of the asphalt station, and the KB national highway reconstruction. The CSCEC project team is at the site conducting project operations.
With this context, let’s look at the 25 cities with the tallest buildings in the world.
A close up of a bustling financial district with a myriad of skyscrapers, representing the small capitalization companies located in developed countries outside the US.
Our Methodology
To curate the list of 25 cities with the tallest buildings in the world, we sourced our data from the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). CTBUH is one of the leading non-profit organizations that compile data on the tallest buildings in the world. For this article, we used the cities by the number of 150m+ buildings dataset. From the dataset, we shortlisted cities with the most 300m+ buildings and ranked them by the height of their 3rd tallest building.
CTBUH defines tall buildings as those with a height between 150 to 300 meters, supertall buildings with a height between 300 to 600 meters, and a megatall building with a height greater than or equal to 600 meters. We chose the height of the 3rd tallest building as our primary metric and the total number of tall buildings (150m+) as our secondary metric to ensure we weren’t including cities with only one or two supertall buildings; instead, those with an overall greater number of tall and super tall buildings. It is important to note that we have only considered completed buildings and have not included those still under construction.
Please also note that the total number of tall buildings represents the sum of all buildings in a city that are complete and have a height of more than 150 meters.
25 Cities with the Tallest Buildings in the World
25. Hangzhou
Height of 3rd Tallest Building: 292.8 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 83
Hangzhou is the capital city of Zhejiang province of China. The city had a population of approximately 9.2 million in 2023, as per the CTBUH data. The Greenland Hangzhou Century Center South Tower is the tallest building in the city, with a height of approximately 304 meters. Moreover, the city has 83 tall buildings, and Hangzhou Centre Tower A is the 3rd tallest building in Hangzhou with a height of 292.8 meters.
24. Beijing
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 295.6 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 65
Beijing ranks 24th on our list of cities with the tallest buildings in the world. It is the capital of China and has 65 tall buildings of more than 150 meters in height. The CITIC Tower stands as the tallest building in the city and has a height of 528 meters. Moreover, the China World Trade Center Phase 3B is the 3rd tallest building, with a height of approximately 295.6 meters.
23. Doha
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 300 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 52
Doha is the capital city of Qatar and is also recognized as the country’s financial hub. The city is home to some of the tallest buildings in Qatar. The Lusail Plaza Tower 3 stands as the tallest building in the city and has a height of approximately 301 meters. The city has 52 fully constructed 150-meter-plus buildings and ranks 23rd on our list of cities with the tallest buildings in the world.
22. Riyadh
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 304 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 28
Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia and ranks 22nd on our list of cities with tallest buildings in the world. Riyad is home to some of the tallest buildings in Saudi Arabia; the PIF Tower is the tallest building in the city, with a height of approximately 385 meters. The city has 28 tall buildings, with KAFD World Trade Center being the 3rd tallest, 304 meters high.
21. Bangkok
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 304 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 115
Bangkok ranks as the 21st city with the tallest buildings in the world. It is the capital city of Thailand and has 115 tall buildings. Magnolias Waterfront Residences Tower 1 is the tallest building in the city, and it is approximately 315 meters high. Moreover, Baiyoke Tower II is the 3rd tallest building in the city and has a height of 304 meters.
20. Shenyang
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 318 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 100
Shenyang ranks as the 20th city with tallest buildings in the world. It is the capital city of Liaoning, the northeastern province of China. The city has 100 tall buildings with a height of more than 150 meters. The Forum 66 Tower 1 stands as the tallest building in the city, with a height of approximately 351 meters. Moreover, the Baoneng Shenyang Global Financial Centre Tower 2 is the 3rd tallest building in the city and has a height of 318 meters.
19. Abu Dhabi
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 324 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 44
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and ranks as the 19th city with the tallest buildings in the world. Burj Mohammed Bin Rashid stands as the tallest building in the city and is approximately 381 meters high. The city has a total of 44 tall buildings, and the Landmark is the 3rd tallest building in the city, with a height of 324 meters.
18. Changsha
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 330 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 65
Changsha ranks as the 18th city with the tallest buildings in the world. It is the capital city of the Hunan province of China. The Changsha IFS Tower T1 is the tallest building in the city and is approximately 452 meters high. In addition, the Changsha IFS Tower T1 stands as the third tallest building in the city and is approximately 330 meters high.
17. Nanning
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 330 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 82
Nanning is another Chinese city and the capital of the Guangxi region. The city has 82 tall buildings that are more than 150 meters in height. The Guangxi China Resources Tower is recognized as the tallest building in the city and has a height of 403 meters. The city ranks as the 17th city with tallest buildings in the world, with 330 meters high Guangxi Financial Investment Center being its 3rd tallest building.
16. Busan
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 333.1 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 77
Busan is a large port city in South Korea that ranks as the 16th city with the tallest buildings in the world. LCT The Sharp Landmark Tower stands as the tallest building in the city, with a height of 412 meters. The city has 77 tall buildings, whereas the LCT The Sharp Residential Tower B ranks as the 3rd tallest building in the city, with a height of 333.1 meters.
15. Tianjin
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 336.9 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 76
Tianjin is another Chinese city and a major port city in northeastern China. The city ranks 15th on our list of 25 cities with tallest buildings in the world. The Tianjin CTF Finance Centre is recognized as the tallest building in the city, with a height of 530 meters. The city has 76 tall buildings, and the Tianjin World Financial Center is the 3rd tallest building in the city, with a height of 336.9 meters.
14. Wuxi
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 339 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 30
Wuxi is a Chinese city that ranks as the 14th city with the tallest buildings in the world. The city has 30 tall buildings, with the Wuxi International Finance Square, Longxi International Hotel, and the Wuxi Suning Plaza 1 being the top 3 tallest buildings with a height of 339, 328, and 328 meters, respectively.
13. Jinan
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 339 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 38
Jinan is the capital city of the Shandong Province, China. The city has a total of 38 tall buildings, with the Ping An Finance Center Tower 1, which has a height of 360 meters, being the tallest building in the world. Moreover, the YunDing Tower is recognized as the 3rd tallest building in the world, with a height of 339 meters.
12. Moscow
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 345 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 49
Moscow is one of the tallest cities in Russia and ranks as the 12th city with the tallest buildings in the world. The Federation Tower stands as the tallest building in the city, with a height of 374 meters. The city has 49 tall buildings, and the NEVA Towers 2 is recognized as the 3rd tallest building in the city with a height of 345 meters.
11. Chongqing
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 354.5 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 145
Chongqing, another Chinese city, ranks 11th on our list. The city has 145 tall buildings over 150 meters in height. The International Land-Sea Center, Raffles City Chongqing T3N, and the Raffles City Chongqing T4N are the top 3 tallest buildings in the city with a height of 458.2, 354.5, and 354.5 meters respectively.
10. Chicago
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 362.9 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 137
Chicago makes it to the top 10 cities with tallest buildings in the world. It is a city situated in Illinois, United States. The city has 137 tall buildings, with the Willis Tower being the tallest building, which has a height of 442 meters. Moreover, the St. Regis Chicago stands as the 3rd tallest building in Chicago, with a height of 362.9 meters.
9. Nanjing
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 368.1 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 73
Nanjing is a Chinese city and the capital of Jiangsu province. The city has 73 tall buildings that are more than 150 meters in height. The Zifeng Tower is the tallest building in Nanjing and is 450 meters high.
8. Hong Kong
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 373.9 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 554
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. It ranks as the 8th city with the tallest buildings in the world. The city has 554 tall buildings, with the tallest building, the International Commerce Centre, having a height of 484 meters. The Central Plaza is recognized as the 3rd tallest building in the city and has a height of 373.9 meters.
7. Wuhan
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 376 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 168
Wuhan is another Chinese City that ranks on our list of cities with the tallest buildings in the world. With a height of 476 meters, the Wuhan Greenland Center stands as the tallest building in the city. The 3rd tallest building in the city is 1 Corporate Avenue, which has a height of approximately 376 meters.
6. Guangzhou
Height of 3rd tallest Building: 390.2 meters
Total Number of Tall Buildings: 191
Guangzhou ranks as the 6th city with tallest buildings in the world. It is a sprawling port city in China, situated in the northwest of Hong Kong. The city has 191 tall buildings with heights of more than 150 meters. The CITIC Plaza is recognized as the 3rd tallest building in the city, with a height of 390.2 meters.
Click to continue reading and see the 5 Cities with Tallest Buildings in the World.
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Disclosure. None. 25 Cities with Tallest Buildings in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.