The last few years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of supertall buildings — those over 1,000 feet — around the world. Many of them are in China and other emerging countries and proclaim “We’ve arrived.” Foremost among these is the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates, which soars to a whopping 2,717 ft.
Among the factors driving the proliferation of supertall buildings are rapid economic growth in some countries, advances in design, materials, and construction techniques, and perhaps income inequality, as the super-rich seek trophy homes.
An example of this is New York’s Billionaires’ Row, although it’s represented by only one building on 24/7 Tempo’s list of the world’s tallest buildings — Central Park Tower. (You might also be interested to see the grandest historic mansion in each state.)
The United States was the original home of the skyscraper, but now has only one entry among the world’s top 10 tallest buildings — New York’s One World Trade Center, which replaced the Twin Towers destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and which topped out at a symbolic 1,776 ft. Way down the list at No. 22 is Willis Tower, previously known as Sears Tower. When it was completed in 1974 it was the tallest building in the world and held that title for almost 25 years.
Click here to see the tallest buildings in the world
Source: Julien Viry / iStock via Getty Images
25. Wuhan Center Tower, Wuhan, China
> Height: 1,437 ft
> Completed: 2019
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Source: そらみみ / Wikimedia Commons
24. Guangzhou International Finance Center, Guangzhou, China
> Height: 1,439 ft
> Completed: 2010
Source: real444 / iStock via Getty Images
23. KK100, Shenzhen, China
> Height: 1,449 ft
> Completed: 2011
Source: alexphi / iStock via Getty Images
22. Willis Tower, Chicago, United States
> Height: 1,451 ft
> Completed: 1974
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Source: Holger Kleine / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
21. The Exchange 106, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
> Height: 1,462 ft
> Completed: 2019
Source: gionnixxx / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
19. Suzhou IFS, Suzhou, China
> Height: 1,476 ft
> Completed: 2019
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Source: stockinasia / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
19. Zifeng Tower, Nanjing, China
> Height: 1,476 ft
> Completed: 2010
Source: Diversity Studio / iStock via Getty Images
17. Petronas Twin Tower 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
> Height: 1,483 ft
> Completed: 1998
Source: Konstantin Aksenov / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
17. Petronas Twin Tower 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
> Height: 1,483 ft
> Completed: 1998
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Source: Yinsanhen / Wikimedia Commons
16. Changsha IFS Tower T1, Changsha, China
> Height: 1,483 ft
> Completed: 2018
Source: ClaudineVM / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
15. Vincom Landmark 81, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
> Height: 1,513 ft
> Completed: 2018
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Source: Mikhail Blavatskiy / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
14. Lakhta Center, Saint Petersburg, Russia
> Height: 1,516 ft
> Completed: 2019
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Source: Courtesy of centralparktower.com
13. Central Park Tower, New York, United States
> Height: 1,550 ft
> Completed: 2020
Source: volvob12b / Flickr
12. International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
> Height: 1,588 ft
> Completed: 2010
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Source: uschools / E+ via Getty Images
11. Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China
> Height: 1,614 ft
> Completed: 2008
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
10. TAIPEI 101, Taipei, Taiwan
> Height: 1,667 ft
> Completed: 2004
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Source: hapabapa / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
9. CITIC Tower, Beijing, China
> Height: 1,731 ft
> Completed: 2018
Source: gionnixxx / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
7. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou, China
> Height: 1,739 ft
> Completed: 2016
Source: BD2412 / Wikimedia Commons
7. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, Tianjin, China
> Height: 1,739 ft
> Completed: 2019
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Source: ozgurdonmaz / iStock via Getty Images
6. One World Trade Center, New York, United States
> Height: 1,776 ft
> Completed: 2014
Source: Mlenny / E+ via Getty Images
5. Lotte World Tower, Seoul, Korea, South
> Height: 1,819 ft
> Completed: 2017
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Source: bingfengwu / iStock via Getty Images
4. Ping An Finance Center, Shenzhen, China
> Height: 1,965 ft
> Completed: 2017
Source: clicksbyabrar / iStock via Getty Images
3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
> Height: 1,972 ft
> Completed: 2012
Source: ansonmiao / E+ via Getty Images
2. Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China
> Height: 2,073 ft
> Completed: 2015
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Source: dblight / E+ via Getty Images
1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
> Height: 2,717 ft
> Completed: 2010
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