This list features the 10 tallest buildings in the world, based on official architectural height (including spires, but excluding antennae), as recorded by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and verified through reliable, up-to-date sources. I keep this list updated regularly to reflect any changes—new completions, height confirmations, or updated rankings—so you’re always getting the most current snapshot of the global skyline.
1. Burj Khalifa – 828 m / 2,717 ft
- Location: Dubai, UAE
- Floors: 163
- Completed: 2010
- Use: Mixed-use
- Estimated Cost: US $1.5 billion
Fun Facts:
- Built using a buttressed core structural system inspired by Islamic geometry
- Holds the world record for the highest public space in a skyscraper at 154 floors
- Construction required 330,000 cubic meters or 11.5 million cubic feet of concrete and nearly 26,000 glass panels
Burj Khalifa — Photo by David Rodrigo on Unsplash
2. Merdeka 118 – 678.9 m / 2,227 ft
- Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Floors: 118
- Completed: 2023
- Use: Mixed-use
- Estimated Cost: US $1.5 billion
Fun Facts:
- Topped out in late 2021; its spire alone adds over 160 m / 526 ft to its height
- Design incorporates motifs from traditional Malay songket textiles
- A LEED-rated megatall skyscraper, the first in Malaysia
Merdeka 118 — Photo by Airlangga Jati on Pexels
3. Shanghai Tower – 632 m / 2,073 ft
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Floors: 128
- Completed: 2015
- Use: Mixed-use
- Estimated Cost: US $2.4 billion
Fun Facts:
- Its twisting form reduces wind loads by approximately 24%
- Contains the world’s fastest elevators (up to 20 m/s) and the world’s highest indoor official observation deck
- Features an advanced rainwater and greywater recycling system that reduces potable water use by over 40%. Collected water is reused for cooling, irrigation, and flushing throughout the building.
Shanghai Tower — Photo by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash
4. Makkah Royal Clock Tower – 601 m / 1,972 ft
- Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- Floors: 120
- Completed: 2012
- Use: Mixed-use and Islamic prayer complex
- Estimated Cost: US $16 Billion (Most expensive skyscraper ever)
Fun Facts:
- Largest clock faces in the world: 43 m / 141 ft in diameter — visible up to 25 km away
- Built adjacent to Islam’s holiest site, it anchors the Abraj Al‑Bait complex
- Combines functional and symbolic design, with Islamic topped finishes and a golden crescent spire
Makkah Royal Clock Tower — Photo by Yasir Gürbüz on Pexels
5. Ping An Finance Center – 599 m / 1,965 ft
- Location: Shenzhen, China
- Floors: 115
- Completed: 2017
- Use: Mixed-use
- Estimated Cost: US $1.5 billion
Fun Facts:
- The observation deck, Free Sky, is tied with the Shanghai Tower for the world’s highest official observation deck, giving visitors unobstructed 360° views of Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea on clear days.
- Designed by the New York-based firm Kohn Pedersen Fox
- Integrated into Shenzhen’s metro and high-speed rail network as a transit-oriented tower
Ping An Finance Center — Photo by Lywin on Pexels
6. Lotte World Tower – 555 m / 1,819 ft
- Location: Seoul, South Korea
- Floors: 123
- Completed: 2017
- Use: Mixed-use
- Estimated Cost: US $3.5 billion
Fun Facts:
- Offers the Sky Bridge Tour, an open-air walkway at 541 m that connects two upper levels of Seoul Sky — one of the highest outdoor sky bridges in the world
- The tower’s curved, tapered silhouette was shaped by wind tunnel testing, helping reduce vortex shedding and resist Korea’s strong seasonal winds — crucial for occupant comfort at extreme heights.
- First Korean building to exceed 100 floors and tallest in OECD countries
Lotte World Tower — Photo by Ryoo Geon Uk on Unsplash
7. One World Trade Center – 541 m / 1,776 ft
- Location: New York City, USA
- Floors: 104
- Completed: 2014
- Use: Office and observation
- Estimated Cost: US $3.9 billion
Fun Facts:
- Height deliberately matches 1,776 ft — symbolic of the U.S. Declaration of Independence
- Built with reinforced concrete core and upgraded safety features in response to 9/11
- The One World Observatory offers sweeping 360° views across NYC from levels 102–104
One World Trade Center — Photo by George Nifakos on Unsplash
Tied (8). Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre – 530 m / 1,739 ft
- Location: Guangzhou, China
- Floors: 111
- Completed: 2016
- Use: Mixed-use
- Estimated Cost: US $1.5 billion
Fun Facts:
- Contains the world’s highest hotel, with the Rosewood Guangzhou occupying the tower’s top floors
- Part of a twin-tower complex with the neighbouring Guangzhou IFC, creating a visual gateway into the city’s central business district
- Features high-performance terracotta facade that acts as solar shading, reducing cooling needs
Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre — Photo by Wally Yang on Unsplash
Tied (8). Tianjin CTF Finance Centre – 530 m / 1,739 ft
- Location: Tianjin, China
- Floors: 97
- Completed: 2019
- Use: Mixed-use
- Estimated Cost: ~US $1.2 billion (no publicly available information)
Fun Facts:
- Same height as the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre despite fewer floors — achieved by taller ceiling-floor height
- Its curved glass exterior reduces wind load and enhances seismic performance
- Serves as the architectural anchor of Tianjin’s Binhai CBD
Tianjin CTF Finance Centre — Photos by Shuaizhi Tian on Pexels
10. CITIC Tower (China Zun) – 528 m / 1,731 ft
- Location: Beijing, China
- Floors: 109
- Completed: 2018
- Use: Mixed-use
- Estimated Cost: US $3 billion
Fun Facts:
- Its silhouette resembles an ancient Chinese wine vessel (zun), blending tradition and modern engineering
- Flared design improves structural stability and aesthetic flow
- Tallest building in Beijing and a central landmark in the evolving CBD
CITIC Tower — Photo by zhang kaiyv on Unsplash