The tallest building in the world today is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which rises to 829 metres and has held the title since it opened on January 9, 2010. Here is a countdown of the tallest buildings in the world, from Taipei 101 in Taiwan to the Burj Khalifa itself.
Note: the ranking reflects the list as it stood when this article was first published in 2022. Since then, Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur has been completed and now ranks second.
Places 10 to 6
10. Taipei 101, Taiwan
Taipei 101, in Taiwan’s capital, is 509 metres tall and has 101 floors. Between 2004 and 2010 it held the title of tallest building in the world, until the Burj Khalifa was completed.
9. China Zun, Beijing
China Zun, also known as CITIC Tower, is a skyscraper in Beijing with 109 floors and a height of 528 metres.
8. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre
The Tianjin Chow Tai Fook Binhai Centre stands in the city of Tianjin, China. Construction began in 2013 and finished in 2019. The building includes a hotel and offices, among other things, and rises to 530 metres.
7. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre
Completed in 2016, it too reaches 530 metres. It houses a hotel, offices, a shopping mall and conference facilities.
6. One World Trade Center, Manhattan
The tower stands in Manhattan, New York, next to the site of the Twin Towers that were destroyed in the September 11 attacks. It is 541 metres tall.
The top five tallest buildings in the world
5. Lotte World Tower, Seoul
Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea, rises 555 metres over 123 floors.
4. Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen
This skyscraper in Shenzhen, China, is 599 metres tall and has 115 floors.
3. Abraj Al-Bait, Saudi Arabia
A government-owned complex in the city of Mecca, made up of seven skyscrapers. The central building is the Makkah Royal Clock Tower hotel, which holds a Guinness record for the highest clock in the world.
2. Shanghai Tower, China
For years the second-tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa. It is 632 metres tall and has 128 floors.
1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The tallest building in the world, a title it has held since 2010. It also has the highest number of floors of any building, at 163. If you are planning to go up, see our guide to hotels near the Burj Khalifa.
More towers worth a visit
Love a view from the top? Read about the observation deck at Rockefeller Center in New York and about Tel Aviv’s own Azrieli Spiral tower.
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