The list below features the 10 tallest towers in the world. These are true freestanding towers — built primarily for broadcasting, observation, or tourism — and do not include skyscrapers, guyed masts, or other types of structures.
This is the most up-to-date version as of 2025, though no changes in rankings have been made for well over a decade. Towers of this scale are becoming increasingly rare, as modern technology and digital broadcasting reduce the need for massive broadcast towers, and most new high-rise structures focus on residential, commercial, or mixed-use skyscrapers rather than freestanding towers. Each entry includes the tower’s location, completion date, primary materials, use, estimated cost, and some fun facts that highlight what makes it unique. (Cover photo of the Fernsehturm Berlin by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash)
1. Tokyo Skytree – 634 m / 2,080 ft
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
- Completed: 2012
- Material: Steel lattice with concrete core
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: US $800 Million
Fun Facts:
- The third-tallest freestanding structure in the world, behind the Merdeka 118 and Burj Khalifa
- The height of 634 meters was chosen intentionally because the numbers 6 (mu), 3 (sa), 4 (shi) can be read together as “Musashi,” an old name for the Tokyo region
- The highest observation deck, known as the Tembo Galleria, is located at a staggering 450 m / 1,480 ft in the air
Tokyo Skytree — Photos by Spencer Chow and Jayasurya Sakamuri on Unsplash
2. Canton Tower – 604 m / 1,982 ft
- Location: Guangzhou, China
- Completed: 2010
- Material: Steel lattice with concrete core
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: US $450 Million
Fun Facts:
- Briefly held the title of the tallest tower in the world after overtaking the CN Tower, before the Tokyo Skytree reclaimed the title
- Holds the record for the highest observation deck in a tower at 488 m / 1,602 ft
- The second-tallest structure in China, only behind the Shanghai Tower
3. CN Tower – 553 m / 1,814 ft
- Location: Toronto, Canada
- Completed: 1975
- Material: Concrete
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: US $45 Million
Fun Facts:
- The tallest freestanding structure in the world for 32 years
- Has the world-famous EdgeWalk, a hands-free walk around the outside edge of the main pod at 356 m / 1,168 ft high
- Tallest freestanding structure in Canada
CN Tower — Photos by Maarten van den Heuvel and Juan Rojas on Unsplash
4. Ostankino Tower – 540 m / 1,772 ft
- Location: Moscow, Russia
- Completed: 1967
- Material: Concrete
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: Undisclosed
Fun Facts:
- Tallest freestanding structure in Europe
- First freestanding structure to surpass 500 m
- Along with existing for typical broadcasting purposes, it was also built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution
Ostankino Tower — Photos by Dmitry Grachyov and Vadim Artyukhin on Unsplash
5. Oriental Pearl Tower – 468 m / 1,535 ft
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Completed: 1994
- Material: Concrete
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: US $100 Million
Fun Facts:
- Once the tallest structure in China
- The tower has a futuristic, space-age design featuring spheres (“pearls”) of different sizes connected by three columns.
- Features a revolving restaurant in the highest sphere
Oriental Pearl Tower — Photos by waltty tang and Green Liu on Unsplash
6. Milad Tower – 435 m / 1,427 ft
- Location: Tehran, Iran
- Completed: 2007
- Material: Concrete
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: US $194 Million
Fun Facts:
- Lengthy 10 year construction period
- The new government of Iran sought to create a new symbol for Tehran to replace the Azadi Tower, which had been a symbol of the Pahlavi era
- Tallest structure in Iran
Milad Tower — Photos by Siamak and Sajad Nori on Unsplash
7. Kuala Lumpur Tower – 421 m / 1,381 ft
- Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Completed: 1995
- Material: Concrete
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: Undisclosed
Fun Facts:
- It was briefly the tallest structure in Malaysia until it was surpassed by the Petronas Towers in 1998
- Currently the 5th-tallest structure in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Tower — Photo by zafree pinano and Muhamad Syazwan on Unsplash
8. Tianjin Radio and TV Tower – 415 m / 1,362 ft
- Location: Tianjin, China
- Completed: 1991
- Material: Concrete
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: US $45 Million
Fun Facts:
- Contains a revolving platform
- The 3rd tallest tower in the world upon completion
- Observation deck at 253 m / 830 ft
Tianjin Radio and TV Tower — Photos by Michael Myers and William Ducret on Unsplash
9. Central Radio and TV Tower – 405 m / 1,329 ft
- Location: Beijing, China
- Completed: 1992
- Material: Concrete
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: Undisclosed
Fun Facts:
- The 2nd tallest structure in Beijing
- Observation deck at 238 m / 781 ft
- The 4th-tallest tower in the world upon completion
30 Hudson Yards — Photos by Victor Zhang and 铲屎官 钢镚 on Pexels
10. Zhongyuan Tower – 388 m / 1,273 ft
- Location: Zhengzhou, China
- Completed: 2011
- Material: Steel
- Use: Telecommunications, observation deck
- Estimated Cost: US $115 Million
Fun Facts:
- Tallest all-steel tower in the world
- The shape of the tower resembles the ancient Chinese musical instrument Chime Bells, which symbolizes the tower’s communication function.
Zhongyuan Tower — Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons andcaoyuan, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons