The Burj Khalifa has been the tallest building in the world since 2010, and 16 years later nothing has come close. At 828 meters it stands 149 meters clear of second place, a gap larger than most skyscrapers are tall in total.
That is about to change. Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia passed its 100th floor in April 2026 and is on course to become the first building to reach a full kilometer. Below are the 10 tallest completed buildings in the world today.
Tallest Buildings in the World at a Glance
| Rank | Building | Location | Height | Floors | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burj Khalifa | Dubai, UAE | 828 m (2,717 ft) | 163 | 2010 |
| 2 | Merdeka 118 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 678.9 m (2,227 ft) | 118 | 2024 |
| 3 | Shanghai Tower | Shanghai, China | 632 m (2,073 ft) | 128 | 2015 |
| 4 | Mecca Royal Clock Tower | Mecca, Saudi Arabia | 601 m (1,972 ft) | 120 | 2012 |
| 5 | Ping An Finance Centre | Shenzhen, China | 599.1 m (1,966 ft) | 115 | 2017 |
| 6 | Lotte World Tower | Seoul, South Korea | 554.5 m (1,819 ft) | 123 | 2017 |
| 7 | One World Trade Center | New York City, USA | 541.3 m (1,776 ft) | 94 | 2014 |
| 8 | Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre | Guangzhou, China | 530 m (1,739 ft) | 111 | 2016 |
| 9 | Tianjin CTF Finance Centre | Tianjin, China | 530 m (1,739 ft) | 97 | 2019 |
| 10 | CITIC Tower | Beijing, China | 527.7 m (1,731 ft) | 109 | 2018 |
The 10 Tallest Buildings Ranked
1. Burj Khalifa: 828 m
The Burj Khalifa opened in Dubai in 2010 and has held the title for 16 years, the longest unbroken reign of any building since the Empire State Building. It has 163 floors, more than any other building on this list.
Its dominance is the striking part. The tallest building completed since reaches just 82% of its height, and the 149-meter gap to second place would itself rank among the taller buildings in most cities.
2. Merdeka 118: 678.9 m
Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur was officially inaugurated in January 2024, taking second place from the Shanghai Tower. Its 118 floors give the tower its name, and its faceted glass facade draws on traditional Malaysian patterns.
It stands near the stadium where Malaysian independence was declared in 1957, which is what merdeka means. It is the tallest building in Southeast Asia.
3. Shanghai Tower: 632 m
The Shanghai Tower is China’s tallest building at 632 meters across 128 floors. Its twisting form is not decorative, since the 120-degree rotation reduces wind loads on the structure by roughly a quarter.
That aerodynamic shaping saved a substantial amount of structural steel. It also holds one of the world’s fastest elevators, traveling at around 20 meters per second.
4. Mecca Royal Clock Tower: 601 m
The Mecca Royal Clock Tower is the centerpiece of the Abraj Al-Bait complex overlooking the Great Mosque of Mecca. Completed in 2012, it serves the millions of pilgrims who visit each year.
Its clock face is the largest in the world by a wide margin, visible from around 17 kilometers away. By floor area rather than height, the complex is among the largest buildings ever constructed.
5. Ping An Finance Centre: 599.1 m
The Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen was completed in 2017 and reaches 599.1 meters over 115 floors. It was originally designed to be taller, but plans for an antenna spire were dropped over aviation concerns.
That decision cost it roughly 60 meters and a higher position on this list. Its facade uses stainless steel cladding rather than the glass typical of towers at this scale.
6. Lotte World Tower: 554.5 m
Seoul’s Lotte World Tower opened in 2017 after 13 years of planning and construction. At 123 floors it is South Korea’s tallest building and the only one in the country anywhere near this height.
Its tapering form narrows continuously from base to tip, a shape drawn from Korean ceramics and calligraphy. The observation deck occupies floors 117 to 123.
7. One World Trade Center: 541.3 m
One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the only entry on this list outside Asia. Its height of 1,776 feet deliberately references the year of the Declaration of Independence.
The floor count is deceptive. The building has 94 actual stories, but the top floor is numbered 104, chosen to reinforce the same symbolism. It was completed in 2014 on the site of the original World Trade Center.
8. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre: 530 m
The Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre reaches 530 meters across 111 floors, mixing offices, apartments, and a hotel in a single tower. It was completed in 2016.
It shares its exact height with the Tianjin tower below, making them the only pair on this list tied to the meter. Its elevators were among the fastest in the world at completion.
9. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre: 530 m
The Tianjin CTF Finance Centre matches Guangzhou at 530 meters but does so with 97 floors rather than 111, meaning noticeably taller floor-to-floor heights. It was completed in 2019.
Its curved, tapering profile has no vertical surfaces at all, a design chosen to cut wind loads. Both CTF towers were developed by the same company, which explains the shared name and matching height.
10. CITIC Tower: 527.7 m
CITIC Tower, widely known as China Zun, is Beijing’s tallest building at 527.7 meters and 109 floors. It was completed in 2018.
Its silhouette is modeled on the zun, an ancient Chinese wine vessel that is wider at the top and bottom than the middle. Building at this height in Beijing required extensive seismic engineering.
China Holds Half the List
Five of the 10 tallest buildings are in China, spread across Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Beijing. No other country has more than one. That concentration mirrors the country’s corporate rise, visible in our ranking of the largest companies in the world.
Nine of the 10 are in Asia, with One World Trade Center the sole exception. The shift is recent and decisive, because for most of the 20th century the tallest buildings were almost all American. Every building on this list was completed in 2010 or later, which shows how thoroughly the record has been rewritten in a single generation.
Jeddah Tower Will Break the Kilometer Barrier
The Burj Khalifa’s reign has a visible end date. Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia is designed to exceed 1,000 meters, making it the first building to reach a full kilometer.
Construction stalled for seven years from 2018 before resuming in January 2025. Progress since has been rapid, with crews adding a floor every three to four days, and the tower passed its 100th floor and 400 meters in April 2026. Completion is targeted for August 2028. At its planned height it would stand roughly 170 meters above the Burj Khalifa, a bigger jump than the gap currently separating first and second place.
Measuring “Tallest” Is Not Straightforward
Heights here follow the standard architectural measurement, taken from the lowest significant open-air pedestrian entrance to the architectural top. Spires count toward that figure, but antennas and flagpoles do not, and the distinction decides rankings.
One World Trade Center is the clearest case. Its 1,776-foot height depends on a 124-meter mast being classified as a spire rather than an antenna, a ruling that was formally contested before being settled in the building’s favor in 2013. Without it, the tower measures about 417 meters to its roof and would not appear on this list at all.
Usable space tells another story. Critics use the term vanity height for the portion of a skyscraper above its highest occupied floor, and on several of these towers that unoccupied top section runs to a fifth of the total. Ranking by floors gives a different order again, which is why the Burj Khalifa’s 163 leads while the 94-story One World Trade Center places seventh.
How We Ranked the Tallest Buildings
Buildings are ranked by architectural height in meters, counting only completed structures. Towers under construction, including Jeddah Tower, are excluded regardless of current height. Free-standing structures that are not buildings, such as broadcast towers, are also excluded.
Foot measurements are converted from the meter figures and rounded to the nearest foot. Floor counts reflect actual stories rather than marketing numbers, which is why One World Trade Center appears with 94 rather than the 104 shown on its top floor. Comparable engineering scale appears in our look at the largest stadiums in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the tallest building in the world?
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 828 meters or 2,717 feet across 163 floors. It has held the title since opening in 2010.
Will anything be taller than the Burj Khalifa?
Yes. Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia is designed to exceed 1,000 meters and is targeted for completion in August 2028, which would make it the first kilometer-tall building.
What is the tallest building in the United States?
One World Trade Center in New York, at 541.3 meters or 1,776 feet. It is seventh globally and the only building outside Asia in the top 10.
Which country has the most of the tallest buildings?
China, with five of the top 10, located in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Beijing. Nine of the 10 are in Asia.
How is a building’s height measured?
From the lowest significant open-air pedestrian entrance to the architectural top. Spires count but antennas and flagpoles do not, a distinction that determines several rankings including One World Trade Center’s.