Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, the tallest building of 2023 CTBUH 2023 Year in Review
The tallest building of 2023: Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, 678.9 meters.
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Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2023

Published: January 31, 2024

Key Takeaways:

2023 was a record-breaking year for tall building completions, with 185 buildings of 200 meters or greater in height completing.

This is up 12.8 percent from 2022, which had 164 such completions. Globally, the world has amassed a total of 2,441 two-hundred-meter-plus buildings and 241 supertall (300 meters and taller) buildings through 2023. For perspective, the first 100 of these supertall buildings were completed by 2015, and the other 141 were built in the seven years since. Additionally, the first 1,000 buildings of 200 meters and greater in height were completed by 2015, a figure that has now more than doubled.

NOTE: This report reflects completion statistics as of the end of 2023. Data will be continuously updated as CTBUH confirms more building completions throughout 2024. The last building to be updated on this page was on May 19, 2025.

Completions Timeline
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Interactive graphic: please hover over columns to explore further.

The tallest building to complete in 2023 was Merdeka 118, in Kuala Lumpur, at 678.9 meters. This is the fourth time that Kuala Lumpur has completed the tallest building of the year since 1990, with its last record-holding building being Menara TM, 310 meters, which was completed in 2001. Kuala Lumpur now has 66 buildings of 200 meters or greater in height since its first, Menara Maybank, completed in 1988.

The record 185 completions represents a full 12.8% jump from the previous record of 164 completions set in 2018.

2023 Completions List
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Rank Name City Floors m ft
1 Merdeka 118 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 118 678.9 2227
2 Wuhan Greenland Center Wuhan, China 101 475.6 1560
3 Huiyun Center Shenzhen, China 80 359.2 1178
= 4 Il Primo Tower Dubai, United Arab Emirates 79 356 1168
= 4 Galaxy World Tower 1 Shenzhen, China 71 356 1168
= 4 Galaxy World Tower 2 Shenzhen, China 71 356 1168
7 Uptown Tower Dubai, United Arab Emirates 77 333.4 1094
8 Wuhan Yangtze River Shipping Center Wuhan, China 65 330 1083
9 Mori JP Tower Tokyo, Japan 65 327.2 1073
10 Huaqiang Golden Corridor City Plaza Main Tower Shenyang, China 66 327 1073
11 The Brooklyn Tower New York City, United States 74 315.3 1034
12 Greenland Hangzhou Century Center South Tower Hangzhou, China 64 303.7 996
13 Greenland Hangzhou Century Center North Tower Hangzhou, China 64 303.3 995
14 Guangdong Landmark Building Shenzhen, China 62 303.1 994
15 The Assima Tower Kuwait City, Kuwait 65 301.6 990
16 One Za'abeel The Tower Dubai, United Arab Emirates 68 301.4 989
17 Luminary Tower Jakarta, Indonesia 64 301.2 988
= 18 Lusail Plaza Tower 3 Doha, Qatar 66 300.6 986
= 18 Lusail Plaza Tower 4 Doha, Qatar 66 300.6 986
20 Lokhandwala Minerva Mumbai, India 78 300.5 986
21 Taizhou Tiansheng Center Taizhou, China 66 299 981
22 Yachthouse by Pininfarina Tower 2 Balneário Camboriú, Brazil 80 294.1 965
23 Yachthouse by Pininfarina Tower 1 Balneário Camboriú, Brazil 80 294 965
24 Haikou World Trade Center Haikou, China 55 288 945
25 Xinchu Qingtian Plaza Tower 2 Changsha, China 62 285.8 938
= 26 Two Manhattan West New York City, United States 58 285 935
= 26 Hangzhou Chengbei MixC Hangzhou, China 58 285 935
= 26 Zhenru Center Shanghai, China 53 285 935
29 Axiom One Shanghai, China 50 284.9 935
30 Forte Tower 1 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 74 281.3 923
31 One Century (Wangchao Center) Hangzhou, China 54 280 919
32 One City Centre Bangkok, Thailand 61 275.8 905
= 33 Bloomsvale Vinca Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 66 270 886
= 33 Bloomsvale Verbena Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 66 270 886
= 35 Grande Signature Residences Dubai, United Arab Emirates 78 267 876
= 35 Capital Tower 1 Moscow, Russia 61 267 876
= 35 Capital Tower 2 Moscow, Russia 61 267 876
= 35 Capital Tower 3 Moscow, Russia 61 267 876
39 Sixth & Guadalupe Austin, United States 66 266.7 875
40 Nest One Tashkent, Uzbekistan 51 266.5 874
41 Toranomon Hills Station Tower Tokyo, Japan 49 266 873
42 Riyad Bank Tower Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 53 264 866
43 Puyang Building Wuhan, China 58 263.2 864
= 44 China Resources Shenrun Building Shenzhen, China 54 262 860
= 44 Window of Shaanxi International Sports Xi’an, China 54 262 860
46 Fisherman's Wharf Shekou T1 Shenzhen, China 57 261 856
= 47 The Address Residences Dubai Opera Tower 1 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 65 260 853
= 47 Wuhan China Resources Center Tower 1 Wuhan, China 55 260 853
49 FIVE Luxe Dubai, United Arab Emirates 56 258.8 849
= 50 Huaying Center Nanchang, China 59 258 846
= 50 CITIC International Building Shenzhen, China 53 258 846
52 Salesforce Tower Chicago, United States 60 254.6 835
53 Grand Hyatt Kunming Kunming, China 57 251 823
54 Foshan Entrepreneur Tower Foshan, China 53 250.5 822
55 Mohammed VI Tower Salé, Morocco 55 250 820
56 China Horoy Yicheng Center Tower 1 Shenzhen, China 55 247.6 812
57 Burj Al Mana Doha, Qatar 57 247.4 812
= 58 Aykon City Phase 2 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 62 246 807
= 58 DAMAC Maison de Ville Hotel Dubai, United Arab Emirates 62 246 807
60 China Resources Land Plaza Tower 1 Jinan, China 53 245.7 806
61 Shekou Prince Bay - Ruixi Residences Shenzhen, China 59 244 801
62 Greentown Excellence Aoxuan City Tower A Hangzhou, China 70 240.1 788
= 63 Mahall Bomonti Izmir Izmir, Türkiye 58 240 787
= 63 China Horoy Yicheng Center Tower 2 Shenzhen, China 55 240 787
= 63 Hangzhou International Office Center A2.1 Hangzhou, China 51 240 787
= 63 Hangzhou International Office Center A2.2 Hangzhou, China 51 240 787
67 The Unicorn Bangkok, Thailand 51 239.7 786
68 Greentown Excellence Aoxuan City Tower B Hangzhou, China 66 239.5 786
= 69 West Side Place Tower D Melbourne, Australia 72 239 784
= 69 Walton Mansion Shenzhen, China 67 239 784
71 One Za'abeel The Residences Dubai, United Arab Emirates 59 238.3 782
72 Changchun Longxiang IBC Tower 1 Changchun, China 55 238 781
73 China Venture Capital Building A Shenzhen, China 52 237.8 780
74 Azabudai Hills Residence A Tokyo, Japan 54 237.2 778
75 Imperial Lexis KLCC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 55 236.2 775
= 76 Arte Cheras Mono Tower Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 85 235 771
= 76 Arte Cheras Charms Tower Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 85 235 771
= 76 La Maison by Fendi Casa Panama City, Panama 69 235 771
79 Suzhou Xingli Hotel Suzhou, China 57 233.9 767
80 Shunde Rural Bank Headquarters Foshan, China 49 233.4 766
81 Shangri-La by the Gardens Melbourne, Australia 59 231.6 760
82 Zhenjiang Rural Commercial Bank HQ Zhenjiang, China 231.3 759
83 Sugar Wharf Tower G Toronto, Canada 70 230.2 755
= 84 West Side Place Tower C Melbourne, Australia 70 230 755
= 84 The Address Residences Dubai Opera Tower 2 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 55 230 755
86 Logan Tianjin Plaza Tower 1 Foshan, China 58 229.1 752
87 Zhuhai Shizimen Convention Center Phase 2, Tower A Zhuhai, China 45 228 748
88 Jiaojiang Chamber of Commerce Building A Taizhou, China 50 227.4 746
89 Shenzhen Science and Technology City Tower A Shenzhen, China 225.8 741
= 90 Salsette 27 Tower A Mumbai, India 64 225.1 739
= 90 Salsette 27 Tower B Mumbai, India 64 225.1 739
= 90 Ruiwan Tower Shenzhen, China 50 225.1 739
= 93 Trion @ Kuala Lumpur, Block A Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 66 225 738
= 93 Trion @ Kuala Lumpur, Block B Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 66 225 738
= 93 Maven at Capitol Commons Pasig, Philippines 62 225 738
= 93 Tokyu Kabukicho Tower Tokyo, Japan 48 225 738
= 93 Inxignia Puebla, Mexico 45 225 738
98 Fontainebleau Las Vegas Las Vegas, United States 67 224 735
99 Zhengrong Meixi Zique Terrace Tower 2 Changsha, China 55 223.8 734
100 Boya Times Center Hangzhou, China 50 223 732
101 KK TIME Tower 1 Shenzhen, China 53 222.6 730
102 YY Huanju Building Guangzhou, China 43 222.1 729
103 Vakif Bank Headquarters Tower 1 Istanbul, Türkiye 43 221.3 726
= 104 Wyndham Shaoxing Fuyue Hotel Shaoxing, China 58 220 722
= 104 Indiabulls Sky Suites Mumbai, India 52 220 722
= 104 Wuhan Kunyu International Center Wuhan, China 51 220 722
= 104 China Merchants Center Ganzhou, China 47 220 722
= 104 Wuhan Hong Kong Center A Wuhan, China 47 220 722
= 109 Istanbul International Finance Center Ziraat Tower I Istanbul, Türkiye 46 219.2 719
= 109 Yuexiu International Financial Center Tower A Guangzhou, China 43 219.2 719
= 111 Sky City at Borivali Tower B Mumbai, India 64 219 719
= 111 Sky City at Borivali Tower A Mumbai, India 64 219 719
= 111 Sky City at Borivali Tower C Mumbai, India 64 219 719
= 111 Sky City at Borivali Tower D Mumbai, India 64 219 719
= 115 Yonghe Plaza Tower A Kunming, China 48 218.9 718
= 115 Yonghe Plaza Tower B Kunming, China 48 218.9 718
117 Sugar Wharf Tower F Toronto, Canada 66 218.4 717
118 Jinjiang Cultural and Creative Industry Center Phase I Chengdu, China 47 217.6 714
119 New Star Center Tower 1 Dalian, China 51 216 709
= 120 Lusail Plaza Tower 1 Doha, Qatar 46 215.6 707
= 120 Lusail Plaza Tower 2 Doha, Qatar 46 215.6 707
= 122 Century Centre Hefei, China 51 215 705
= 122 The Address Siam Ratchathewi Bangkok, Thailand 50 215 705
= 122 Mira 3-Chome 4-Chome Redevelopment 1 Tokyo, Japan 42 215 705
125 180 George North Tower Parramatta, Australia 66 213 699
126 Beaudry Los Angeles, United States 64 211.7 695
= 127 Sanyang Road Station Tower 2 Wuhan, China 46 211.4 694
= 127 Chow Tai Fook Headquarters North Tower Shenzhen, China 43 211.4 694
129 Winthrop Center Boston, United States 53 211.3 693
130 Nimrodi Tower Bnei Brak, Israel 52 211.2 693
= 131 Aspire Tower Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 48 211 692
= 131 Landmark International Innovation Center Tower 2 Chengdu, China 45 211 692
133 Aspire Melbourne Melbourne, Australia 65 210.6 691
= 134 UNO Melbourne Melbourne, Australia 65 210 689
= 134 Mercure Hotel, Trion @ KL Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 56 210 689
= 134 Indiabulls Sky Forest Mumbai, India 51 210 689
= 134 Tangxia Village Project Guangzhou, China 48 210 689
= 134 Kingdee Tower Shenzhen, China 44 210 689
139 Haikou China Resources Center Tower 2 Haikou, China 46 209 686
140 Halk Bank Headquarters Tower 1 Istanbul, Türkiye 46 208 682
141 Huaqiang Science & Technology Plaza Shenzhen, China 46 207.6 681
= 142 Orix Towers East Dalian, China 42 207.1 679
= 142 Orix Towers West Dalian, China 42 207.1 679
144 Huafa Plaza 1 Zhuhai, China 48 207 679
145 Digital China Headquarters Tower 2 Shenzhen, China 43 206.4 677
146 OPPO Technology and Research Center Chengdu, China 42 206 676
147 Sungang MixC Market Hall Residential Tower 3 Shenzhen, China 55 205.6 675
148 Muze @ PICC Tower B Penang, Malaysia 58 205.5 674
149 Digital China Headquarters Tower 1 Shenzhen, China 47 205.1 673
= 150 Hwaesong Street 60-Storey Building Pyongyang, North Korea 60 205 673
= 150 Excellence Zhonghuan Centre 1 Changsha, China 44 205 673
= 150 China Merchants Magic Cube Tower 4 Chengdu, China 43 205 673
153 Estates at Acqualina Boutique North Tower Sunny Isles Beach, United States 52 204.8 672
= 154 China Merchants Magic Cube Tower 5 Chengdu, China 42 204.6 671
= 154 Sungang MixC Market Hall Residential Tower 1 Shenzhen, China 56 204.6 671
= 154 Sungang MixC Market Hall Residential Tower 2 Shenzhen, China 204.6 671
157 China Merchants Magic Cube Tower 3 Chengdu, China 49 204.2 670
= 158 Merchants Jiangshan Fenghua Tower 1 Wuhan, China 62 203.8 669
= 158 Merchants Jiangshan Fenghua Tower 2 Wuhan, China 62 203.8 669
160 8 Bishopsgate London, United Kingdom 51 203.7 668
161 Mingsheng Technology Building Shenzhen, China 46 203.3 667
= 162 Greentown Jindi Fengqi Tinglan Tower 8 Wuhan, China 58 202.9 666
= 162 Greentown Jindi Fengqi Tinglan Tower 9 Wuhan, China 58 202.9 666
164 China Merchants Magic Cube Tower 1 Chengdu, China 51 202.7 665
165 Changsha Nanshan Shilimeixi Building C1 Changsha, China 48 202.2 663
= 166 Park Origin Thonglor Tower C Bangkok, Thailand 59 202 663
= 166 China Merchants Magic Cube Tower 2 Chengdu, China 52 202 663
= 168 MIXC Nanjing Runjiang Building Nanjing, China 45 201.9 662
= 168 Nanjing MIXC Tower 1 Nanjing, China 45 201.9 662
= 168 Yuelai Convention and Exhibition Headquarters Base Chongqing, China 43 201.9 662
171 Nanjing Jiangbei Wondercity Tower 1 Nanjing, China 40 201.5 661
= 172 Oberoi Enigma Tower 1 Mumbai, India 59 201 659
= 172 Oberoi Enigma Tower 2 Mumbai, India 59 201 659
= 174 Anju High Tech Garden North Tower 1 Shenzhen, China 61 200.6 658
= 174 Anju High-Tech Garden North Tower 3 Shenzhen, China 60 200.6 658
176 KWG Topchain Plaza Shenzhen, China 54 200.5 658
= 177 Downtown & Be Grand Reforma Mexico City, Mexico 50 200.3 657
= 177 COFCO Qianhai Asia Pacific Building Shenzhen, China 42 200.3 657
= 179 M2 Mississauga, Canada 62 200 656
= 179 Victoria sur le Parc Montreal, Canada 58 200 656
= 179 Metropolis Vanke Center Jinan, China 43 200 656
= 179 Zhuhai Shizimen Convention Center Phase 2, Tower B Zhuhai, China 42 200 656
= 179 Yunquan Center 1 Jinan, China 42 200 656
= 179 Banque Nationale Headquarters Montreal, Canada 40 200 656
= 179 Nanjing Vertical Forest Tower 1 Nanjing, China 200 656

2023 was the 10th year in a row that the world has completed 100+ buildings of at least 200 meters in height.

Key Worldwide Market Snapshots

Country Completions, 2023
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With 162 completed buildings of 200 meters or greater in height, Shenzhen, China is now home to 1 out of every 14 such buildings in the world.

City Completions, 2023
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City Records
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Eighteen cities got a new tallest building, as shown below. The number of cities completing a 200-meter-plus building (60) remained steady compared to 2022's sixty different cities, and from a peak of 68 cities in 2017.


There were also exciting new starts of a number of record-breaking or notable 200-meter-plus buildings in 2023. In Dubai, the 85-story Safa Two de GRISOGONO began construction on the final plots of the Aykon City project. In Brazil, Sao Paulo’s Alto das Nações Torre 2 began construction with a targeted completion of 2025. In Nashville, 1000 Church Street, the city’s first 200-meter-plus building, began construction late in the year.

The 10 Tallest Completions of 2023

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Tallet 10 of 2022 Merdeka 118 Wuhan Greenland Center Ping An Finance Center Tower 1 Huiyun Center Il Primo Tower Galaxy World Tower 1 Galaxy World Tower 2 Uptown Tower One Za'abeel Tower 1 Wuhan Yangtze River Shipping Center

Impact on the World's 100 Tallest

World's 100 Tallest by Region
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Asia (excluding the Middle East) continues to host the most buildings amongst the 100 Tallest, with 63 buildings qualifying for that description at the end of 2023. The Middle East and North America are close behind, having 18 and 14 buildings, respectively. Europe is home to five of the 100 Tallest, and Oceania, Africa, and South America have yet to have an entrant into the list post-2020.

World's 100 Tallest by Function
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At the end of 2023, all-office buildings comprised 37 of the 100 Tallest. Mixed-use buildings have been a plurality in this group since 2017 and now comprise 50, with hotel-only (3 buildings) and residential-only (10 buildings) making up the rest. "Other" uses, such as government-, religious-, and university-related functions, have not been amongst the world's 100 tallest since the Soviet Union's MV Lomonosov State University was eliminated 22 years ago.

World's 100 Tallest by Material
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The abundance of buildings that use multiple materials within the primary structural system continues to dominate the world's 100 tallest, with composite and mixed structures making up 62 percent of the list. All-concrete structures, while still a common solution, now make up just 26 percent of the 100 tallest. All-steel structures have been in decline since 1960, when they peaked at supporting 93 of the world's 100 tallest buildings; today, only nine of them sport an all-steel structure. The only all-steel structure to enter the 100 tallest in the last 26 years was 30 Hudson Yards, completed in 2019.

World's 100 Tallest Average Building Height
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The average height of all completions in 2023 was 241.5 meters—a 2.5 percent increase from 2022, which had an average completion height of 235.5 meters. In light of this increase, 2023's new additions to the World's 100 Tallest increased the threshold for entry to 409.4 meters in 2023. A total of six buildings entered the 100 tallest in 2023: Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, at 678.9 meters; Wuhan Greenland Center, Wuhan, at 475.6 meters; Huiyun Center, Shenzhen, at 359.2 meters; Il Primo Tower, Dubai, at 356 meters; Galaxy World Tower 1, Shenzhen, at 356 meters; and Galaxy World Tower 2, Shenzhen, at 356 meters.

Predictions for 2024

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Of the buildings currently under construction or topped-out, 35 are supertalls (300 meters or higher); just 27 of those completing in 2024 would set a record, surpassing the 26 supertall completions in 2019 and indicating a return to the pre-COVID pace of construction. The 2024 list will most likely be led by the completion of International Land-Sea Center, Chongqing, at 458.2 meters. In light of the massive number of skyscrapers on deck, CTBUH predicts at least 150 buildings of 200 meters and higher to complete in 2024, with as many as 190 completing. Of these, we expect between 15 and 25 to be supertalls.