Countries With the Most Skyscrapers: Ranked

China has by far the most skyscrapers of any country, with more than 3,000 completed buildings taller than 150 metres — several times the total of the United States, which ranks second. The United Arab Emirates, Japan, and South Korea round out the leading nations.

Introduction

A skyscraper is usually defined as a continuously habitable high-rise building of 150 metres or taller, though the term "supertall" is reserved for structures above 300 metres. Over the past three decades the global skyline has shifted decisively toward Asia, driven by rapid urbanisation, rising land values, and national prestige projects.

China alone has built more 150-metre-plus towers than the rest of the world combined during the 2010s and 2020s. This guide ranks the countries with the most skyscrapers and explains why the balance of vertical construction has tilted so sharply eastward.

Countries With the Most Skyscrapers

1. China

• China: More than 3,000 buildings over 150 metres, dwarfing every other nation. Shenzhen and Hong Kong are the two densest skyscraper cities on Earth, with Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing close behind. Shanghai Tower, at 632 metres, is the tallest building in China and the second tallest in the world.

2. United States

• United States: The birthplace of the skyscraper still ranks second, with roughly 900 buildings above 150 metres. New York City and Chicago pioneered high-rise construction, and One World Trade Center (541 metres) remains the tallest in the Western Hemisphere.

3. United Arab Emirates

• United Arab Emirates: Home to Dubai and its Burj Khalifa, which at 828 metres has been the world's tallest building since 2010. The UAE packs an extraordinary number of supertall towers into a small area, with Dubai's skyline among the most recognisable on the planet.

4. Japan

• Japan: Tokyo and Osaka host hundreds of high-rises engineered to withstand frequent earthquakes. Strict seismic building codes long limited extreme heights, but Japan has steadily added modern towers such as the 330-metre Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower.

5. South Korea

• South Korea: Seoul, Busan, and Incheon have driven a construction boom. The 555-metre Lotte World Tower in Seoul is one of the tallest buildings in the world, and dense residential high-rises are common across Korean cities.

6. Malaysia

• Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur's skyline is anchored by the Petronas Twin Towers (452 metres) and the Merdeka 118 tower, which at 679 metres is the second tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa.

7. Canada

• Canada: Toronto leads North America outside the United States for high-rise construction, with a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers. Vancouver and Montreal add to the national total.

8. Australia

• Australia: Melbourne, Sydney, and Gold Coast host the country's tallest towers. Melbourne's Australia 108 reaches 316 metres, making it one of the tallest buildings in the Southern Hemisphere.

Why China Dominates

China's dominance reflects the scale and speed of its urbanisation. Between 2000 and 2020, hundreds of millions of people moved into cities, and local governments raced to build vertical business districts as symbols of economic arrival. In many years, China completed more than half of all the world's new 200-metre-plus buildings.

Shenzhen, a fishing village turned megacity, illustrates the trend better than anywhere else — it has built more skyscrapers in four decades than most countries have in their entire history. In recent years Chinese regulators have curbed the tallest "vanity" projects by restricting new buildings above 500 metres, which may slow the record-setting pace.

Quick Questions

Which country has the most skyscrapers?

China has the most by a wide margin, with more than 3,000 buildings taller than 150 metres — more than the United States and United Arab Emirates combined.

Which city has the most skyscrapers?

Hong Kong and Shenzhen consistently top city rankings for the number of buildings over 150 metres, with each home to hundreds of qualifying towers.

What is the tallest building in the world?

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, stands 828 metres tall and has held the title of world's tallest building since 2010.