The 25 Cities With the Most Skyscrapers Worldwide

By Michele Debczak |
Hong Kong skyline at sunrise.
Hong Kong skyline at sunrise. / Martin Puddy/Royalty-free/iStock via Getty Images

A city is officially defined by its population size, but to many people, the size of its buildings is equally important. Since the early 20th century, cities around the world have competed to carve out the most dramatic skyline. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, these metropolises boast the most skyscrapers within their limits.

Not every high-rise can be called a skyscraper. The definition of the super-structure varies, but most architects agree that 150 meters (about 492 feet) is the minimum height to qualify for the label.

Based on that criteria, Hong Kong is the skyscraper capital of the world. The East Asian city is home to nearly 550 buildings reaching over 150 meters tall. Of those buildings, theInternational Commerce Centre is the highest at 1588 feet.

Shenzhen in China haș the second-highest concentration of mega-tall structures on the list. Though it contains almost 200 fewer skyscrapers than Hong Kong, its tallest building is more impressive. The 1966-foot-tall Ping An International Finance Centre is the fifth-tallest skyscraper on Earth. In third place is New York City in the United States; in fourth is Dubai in the United Arab Emirates—both of which have skyscrapers that exceed Hong Kong’s tallest. New York’s One World Trade Center stands 1776 feet tall, and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa towers at 2717 feet, making it the tallest structure on Earth.

You can read the full list of the cities with the most skyscrapers below. Tall buildings are awe-inspiring, but an urban area doesn’t need them to be beautiful. Here are the most beautiful cities around the world, according to the Golden Ratio.

The 25 Cities With the Most Skyscrapers

  1. Hong Kong // 546 skyscrapers
  2. Shenzhen, China // 351 skyscrapers
  3. New York City, U.S. // 303 skyscrapers
  4. Dubai, U.A.E. // 241 Skyscrapers
  5. Shanghai, China // 180 skyscrapers
  6. Guangzhou, China // 175 skyscapers
  7. Tokyo, Japan // 167 skyscrapers
  8. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia // 153 skyscrapers
  9. Chongqing, China // 140 skyscrapers
  10. Chicago, U.S. // 134 skyscrapers
  11. Wuhan, China // 119 skyscrapers
  12. Chengdu, China // 113 skyscrapers
  13. Jakarta, Indonesia // 110 skyscrapers
  14. Bangkok, Thailand // 109 skyscrapers
  15. Shenyang, China // 97 skyscrapers
  16. Singapore // 94 skyscrapers
  17. Seoul, South Korea // 82 skyscrapers
  18. Mumbai, India // 81 skyscrapers
  19. Busan, South Korea // 77 skyscrapers (tied)
  20. Toronto, Canada // 77 skyscrapers (tied)
  21. Tianjin, China // 74 skyscrapers
  22. Nanning, China // 71 skyscrapers
  23. Nanjing, China // 68 skyscrapers (tied)
  24. Melbourne, Australia // 68 skyscrapers (tied)
  25. Panama City, Panama // 66 skyscrapers
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