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From Billionaire’s Row to the tip of Lower Manhattan, New York City is often the poster child for vertical ambition. But when it comes to sheer skyscraper count—buildings clocking in at 150 meters (about 492 feet) or taller—it’s actually not the world leader. According to the latest data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, New York sits at number three globally, trailing two fast-growing Asian cities that have truly embraced the skyward lifestyle.
So, who beats the Big Apple at its own game?
Coming in first is Hong Kong, with more than 550 completed skyscrapers. Crushed between mountains and the South China Sea, the city’s lack of flat land made building up more of a necessity than an aesthetic choice. The result is a tightly packed vertical jungle with dramatic commercial towers and high-rise apartment blocks seemingly stacked to the clouds.
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Second place goes to Shenzhen, China’s tech-fueled megacity, boasting more than 380 skyscrapers. Once a sleepy fishing town in the 1970s, Shenzhen is now a skyline of supertalls and architectural flexes, like the 115-floor Ping An Finance Center.
New York still holds its own at number three, with more than 320 skyscrapers, many of which are as iconic as they are tall—think the Chrysler Building, One World Trade and the ultrathin towers of Midtown’s Billionaire’s Row. Unlike the often-uniform skylines of Asia’s vertical boomtowns, New York’s towers tend to be more varied in use and style, a layered mix of residential, commercial and historic structures.
Rounding out the top 10 are Dubai, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Chicago and Wuhan, each a city where height meets hustle and skylines are works in progress.
Of course, the rankings shift regularly as construction cranes keep busy, especially in Asia and the Middle East. But for now, NYC remains a global skyscraper heavyweight—just not the heavyweight.