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Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the World

The tallest completed buildings on Earth, ranked by height, with where each one stands, how many floors it has and when it opened.

Burj Khalifa2,717 ft 2

Merdeka 1182,227 ft 3

Shanghai Tower2,073 ft

Quick answer

Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world at 828 m (2,717 ft), and it has held the record since it opened. Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur is second at 678.9 m (2,227 ft), and the Shanghai Tower is third at 632 m (2,073 ft). One World Trade Center in New York, at 541.3 m (1,776 ft), is the tallest in the US.

How it's ranked: Height to the architectural top of each completed building, from Wikipedia's List of tallest buildings. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre and Tianjin CTF Finance Centre are tied at 530 m.

Burj Khalifa

Dubai, United Arab Emirates · 163-floor skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates · released 2010

2,717 ft

The tallest building in the world.

Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates stands 828 m (2,717 ft) tall with 163 floors. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it has been the tallest building in the world since its inauguration, when it passed Taipei 101. Construction began in 2004, and the main structure is reinforced concrete.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › Burj_Khalifa

Merdeka 118

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · 118-floor skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · released 2024

2,227 ft

The second-tallest building in the world.

Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia stands 678.9 m (2,227 ft) tall with 118 floors. It is the tallest building in Southeast Asia. The structure was completed in November 2023 and opened on January 10, 2024, and the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur began operating on levels 75 to 112 on August 7, 2025, while much of the rest was still unfinished in 2026.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › Merdeka_Maybank

Shanghai Tower

Shanghai, China · 128-floor skyscraper in Shanghai, China · released 2015

2,073 ft

The tallest twisted building in the world.

Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China stands 632 m (2,073 ft) tall with 128 floors. It is the tallest building in China and East Asia, rises in a twisting shape in Shanghai's Lujiazui district, and is the second-tallest building in the world measured to its highest occupied floor.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › Shanghai_Tower

Makkah Royal Clock Tower

Mecca, Saudi Arabia · 120-floor skyscraper in Mecca, Saudi Arabia · released 2012

1,972 ft

The tallest clock tower in the world.

Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Mecca, Saudi Arabia stands 601 m (1,972 ft) tall with 120 floors. It is the central tower of a government-owned complex of seven hotel towers next to the Grand Mosque, built to serve pilgrims, and it is the tallest building in Saudi Arabia.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › The_Clock_Towers

Ping An Finance Centre

Shenzhen, China · 115-floor skyscraper in Shenzhen, China · released 2017

1,966 ft

The tallest all-office building in the world.

Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen, China stands 599.1 m (1,966 ft) tall with 115 floors. Completed in 2017, it is the tallest building in Shenzhen and holds offices, a hotel, a conference center and a high-end shopping mall.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › Ping_An_Finance_Centre

Lotte World Tower

Seoul, South Korea · 123-floor skyscraper in Seoul, South Korea · released 2017

1,819 ft

The tallest building in the OECD.

Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea stands 554.5 m (1,819 ft) tall with 123 floors. It opened to the public on April 3, 2017, and was the first building in South Korea to pass 100 stories. Its rooftop Sky Bridge Tour sits at about the same height as One World Trade Center.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › Lotte_World_Tower

One World Trade Center

New York City, United States · 104-floor skyscraper in New York City, United States · released 2014

1,776 ft

The tallest building in the US.

One World Trade Center in New York City, United States stands 541.3 m (1,776 ft) tall with 104 floors. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan and shares its name with the original North Tower, destroyed on September 11, 2001.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › One_World_Trade_Center

Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre

Guangzhou, China · 111-floor skyscraper in Guangzhou, China · released 2016

1,739 ft

Tied for eighth tallest in the world.

Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre in Guangzhou, China stands 530 m (1,739 ft) tall with 111 floors. Completed in October 2016, it has 111 floors above ground and holds a shopping mall, offices, apartments and a hotel.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › Guangzhou_CTF_Finance_Centre

Tianjin CTF Finance Centre

Tianjin, China · 97-floor skyscraper in Tianjin, China · released 2019

1,739 ft

The tallest building with fewer than 100 floors.

Tianjin CTF Finance Centre in Tianjin, China stands 530 m (1,739 ft) tall with 97 floors. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it was completed in 2019 with 97 floors, making it the tallest building in the world with fewer than 100 floors.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › Tianjin_CTF_Finance_Centre

CITIC Tower

Beijing, China · 109-floor skyscraper in Beijing, China · released 2018

1,731 ft

The tallest building in Beijing.

CITIC Tower in Beijing, China stands 527.7 m (1,731 ft) tall with 109 floors. Also called China Zun, it was the tallest building completed anywhere in 2018 and, as of 2024, the tallest building in the world with a rooftop helipad.

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Source: en.wikipedia.org › China_Zun

Questions people ask

What is the tallest building in the world?

Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at 828 m (2,717 ft). It has been the tallest building in the world since it opened.

What is the second-tallest building in the world?

Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at 678.9 m (2,227 ft). It was completed in November 2023 and opened in January 2024.

What is the tallest building in the US?

One World Trade Center in New York City, at 541.3 m (1,776 ft). It is also the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Which country has the most of the 10 tallest buildings?

China, with five: the Shanghai Tower, Ping An Finance Centre, Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Tianjin CTF Finance Centre and CITIC Tower.

What is the tallest building in China?

The Shanghai Tower, at 632 m (2,073 ft) with 128 floors.

How we ranked

Height to the architectural top of each completed building, from Wikipedia's List of tallest buildings. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre and Tianjin CTF Finance Centre are tied at 530 m. Every number on this page comes from the source linked under each pick, and every photo shows the actual product. Brands can't pay to be on this list.

List source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings · Updated 2026-11-12