Tallest Buildings in the World: The Top 10 Ranked
Updated October 27, 2026
The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 828 m (2,717 ft) to its architectural top, and it has held the record since it opened in 2010. The next tallest, the Merdeka Maybank Tower (formerly Merdeka 118) in Kuala Lumpur, is about 149 m shorter. This list ranks the ten tallest completed buildings by height to the highest architectural feature, the standard set by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (renamed the Council on Vertical Urbanism in October 2025) and used by Wikipedia's list of tallest buildings, read on 27 October 2026. Antennas do not count under that rule; spires do. Five of the ten are in China; the UAE, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and the United States have one each.
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#1Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
$51828 m, 163 floors, completed 2010: the record holder.
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The Burj Khalifa stands 828 m (2,717 ft) to its architectural top and 829.8 m to the pinnacle, with 163 floors above ground and 2 below. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and developed by Emaar Properties, it opened on 4 January 2010 and took the record from Taipei 101. It is also the one building on this list where you can stand higher than the roof of No. 6: the SKY deck on level 148 is at 555 m. Tickets to the decks start at $51 for levels 124 and 125; compare them on the Burj Khalifa tickets page, or read how tall is Burj Khalifa.
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- #2
Merdeka Maybank Tower (formerly Merdeka 118), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
678.9 m, 118 floors, completed 2024: the newest building in the top ten.
Built as Merdeka 118, the tower was renamed Merdeka Maybank Tower in July 2026 after Maybank moved its headquarters in, according to Wikipedia. It reaches 678.9 m (2,227 ft) with 118 floors above ground and 5 below, and is listed as completed in 2024, which made it the second-tallest building in the world. It is still 149.1 m shorter than the Burj Khalifa: the Dubai tower is about 22% taller. Its spire counts toward its height under the council's rule, just as the Burj Khalifa's does.
- #3
Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China
632 m, 128 floors, completed 2015: the tallest building in China.
The Shanghai Tower rises 632 m (2,073 ft) in the Pudong district, with 128 floors above ground and 5 below. Completed in 2015, it is the tallest of the five Chinese buildings on this list, and its Pudong neighbour the Shanghai World Financial Center (492 m) ranks twelfth. The Burj Khalifa is 196 m taller, about 31% more, and its highest occupied floor, at 585.4 m, is still 46.6 m below the Shanghai Tower's top.
- #4
Makkah Royal Clock Tower, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
601 m, 120 floors, completed 2012, beside the Masjid al-Haram.
The clock tower is the tallest of the Abraj Al Bait complex facing the Great Mosque of Mecca. It stands 601 m (1,972 ft) with 120 floors above ground and 3 below, and was completed in 2012, two years after the Burj Khalifa opened. It is the tallest building in Saudi Arabia until the Jeddah Tower is finished, and 227 m shorter than the Burj Khalifa.
- #5
Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China
599.1 m, 115 floors, completed 2017: under 2 m behind Mecca.
Shenzhen's tallest building reaches 599.1 m (1,966 ft) with 115 floors above ground and 5 below, completed in 2017. It misses fourth place by just 1.9 m. A 60 m antenna was planned for the top, but Wikipedia records that it was dropped because it might obstruct flight paths, which is why the tower stops just under 600 m. It is 228.9 m shorter than the Burj Khalifa.
- #6
Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea
554.5 m, 123 floors, completed 2017: lower than a Burj Khalifa deck.
The Lotte World Tower stands 554.5 m (1,819 ft) with 123 floors above ground and 6 below, completed in 2017, and is the tallest building in South Korea. One number puts it in scale: the SKY observation deck on level 148 of the Burj Khalifa is at 555 m, so a visitor there stands higher than the very top of Seoul's tallest tower. The Burj Khalifa is 273.5 m taller in all.
- #7
One World Trade Center, New York City, United States
541.3 m (1,776 ft), 104 floors, completed 2014: the tallest in the Western Hemisphere.
One World Trade Center reaches 541.3 m, exactly 1,776 ft, a height chosen to mark the year of the US Declaration of Independence. It has 104 floors above ground and 5 below and was completed in 2014 on the site of the original World Trade Center. It is the tallest building in the United States and in the Western Hemisphere, and 286.7 m shorter than the Burj Khalifa. Side by side: Burj Khalifa vs One World Trade Center.
- #8
Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou, China
530 m, 111 floors, completed 2016.
Guangzhou's CTF Finance Centre stands 530 m (1,740 ft) with 111 floors above ground and 5 below, completed in 2016. It shares its height almost exactly with its sister building in Tianjin, built by the same developer, Chow Tai Fook. Wikipedia ranks Guangzhou ahead on its main table. The Burj Khalifa is 298 m taller, more than half as tall again.
- #9
Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, Tianjin, China
About 530 m, 97 floors, completed 2019.
The Tianjin CTF Finance Centre is about 530 m (1,740 ft) tall, given as 530.4 m to the pinnacle in Wikipedia's height table, with 97 floors above ground and 4 below. Completed in 2019, it is the tallest building in Tianjin and the twin in height of the Guangzhou tower above, from the same Chow Tai Fook developer. With fewer floors than Guangzhou for the same height, its storeys are taller on average. It is roughly 298 m shorter than the Burj Khalifa.
- #10
China Zun (CITIC Tower), Beijing, China
527.7 m, 109 floors, completed 2018: the tallest building in Beijing.
China Zun, also called CITIC Tower, rises 527.7 m (1,731 ft) in Beijing's central business district, with 109 floors above ground and 8 below, completed in 2018. Its shape is modelled on the zun, an ancient Chinese ritual wine vessel, which gives the tower its name. It closes the top ten, 300.3 m shorter than the Burj Khalifa: the Dubai tower is about 57% taller. Just below it sit Taipei 101 (508 m) and the Shanghai World Financial Center (492 m).
Frequently asked questions
Is the Burj Khalifa still the tallest building in the world?
Yes. At 828 m it has been the tallest building in the world since it opened in 2010. The second tallest, the Merdeka Maybank Tower (formerly Merdeka 118) in Kuala Lumpur, is 678.9 m.
Will a building be taller than the Burj Khalifa?
The Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia is designed to reach at least 1,008 m. Construction restarted in January 2025, and Wikipedia gives an estimated completion of mid-to-late 2028. See Burj Khalifa vs Jeddah Tower.
What is the second tallest building in the world?
The Merdeka Maybank Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, built as Merdeka 118 and renamed in July 2026: 678.9 m with 118 floors, listed as completed in 2024.
What was the tallest building before the Burj Khalifa?
Taipei 101 in Taiwan, at 508 m, held the record from 2004 until the Burj Khalifa opened. Compare them: Burj Khalifa vs Taipei 101.
How many floors does the tallest building have?
The Burj Khalifa has 163 floors above ground, 154 usable plus 9 maintenance levels in the spire, and 2 basement levels. More: how many floors does Burj Khalifa have.
Can you go to the top of the tallest building in the world?
Visitors can book the decks on levels 124 and 125 (452 m), SKY level 148 (555 m) and the Lounge on level 152 (585 m), from $51. Compare the Burj Khalifa tickets.
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