Chicago, Feb. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU), previously the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), today released its 2026 Trends & Forecasts report, a thorough, data-driven assessment of the global tall building industry and its near-term trajectory. Drawing on the most recent global completions data, the report analyzes how shifting geographic activity, economic and geopolitical pressures, and evolving design and construction practices are reshaping vertical development worldwide.
The 2026 iteration of CVU's annual assessment makes clear that the tall building sector remains active and expansive, but increasingly selective. Growth continues, though it is marked by regional divergence, tighter financing conditions, and a more cautious development pipeline.“
Tall building development is no longer about uniform acceleration,” said Javier Quintana de Uña, CEO of CVU. “What the data shows instead is a period of recalibration, wherein ambition persists, but delivery is shaped by economic realities, market demand, and long-term urban priorities.”
Global inventory and geographic trends
At the end of 2025:
- The global inventory of buildings 200 meters and taller surpassed 2,580, spread across 222 cities in 52 countries, continuing a long-term upward trend in vertical urbanization.
- China remained the dominant contributor to this inventory, accounting for a majority of completions, with Shenzhen becoming the first city worldwide to exceed 200 completed buildings over 200 meters.
- New York City and Hong Kong exceeded 100 completed buildings of 200 meters or taller, doubling the number of cities worldwide to reach this milestone, from two to four. (Dubai and Shenzhen were the first cities to cross this threshold.)
- The composition of the world’s 100 tallest buildings continued to diversify geographically: While Asia maintained a clear majority of entries, representation from the Middle East, North America, Europe, and Africa reflected a broader global distribution of supertall (300 meters or more) development than in previous decades.
Height, materials, and building typologies
Additionally, the report finds that:
- Average heights of annual completions continued to rise: The world’s 100 tallest buildings were, on average, taller than ever, indicating the sustained relevance of supertall construction even as overall project volumes fluctuate.
- Structural and material trends also evolved: Composite and all-steel systems gained share among the tallest buildings, while all-concrete structures declined at the extreme upper end, reflecting changing engineering strategies, performance requirements, and construction economics.
- Functional distribution within the world’s 100 tallest buildings also continued to shift, as office, residential, hotel, and mixed-use towers respond to changing market conditions and occupier demand.
2026 forecast
In the coming year, CVU forecasts:
- Approximately 140 buildings of 200 meters or taller will be completed, including around 18 supertall buildings.
- The global pipeline remains substantial, with nearly 400 tall buildings currently under construction or topped out, including dozens of supertalls.
- A record number of stalled or on-hold projects, particularly in markets facing prolonged financing constraints and post-pandemic economic adjustment, will contribute to extended construction timelines and fewer near-term completions.
- Continued long-term confidence at the highest end of height, evidenced by the resumption of construction on megatall projects such as Jeddah Tower (1,000 meters) and Burj Azizi (725 meters), alongside ongoing advances in delivery technologies.
The CVU 2026 Trends & Forecasts report features interactive data visualizations and detailed breakdowns by region, height, function, material, and construction status, offering a wide range of practitioners a clear view of both current conditions and emerging global patterns. To view the complete report, please visit https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/trends-and-forecasts/2026.
Council on Vertical Urbanism
The Council on Vertical Urbanism (CVU) is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing tall buildings and responsible density in cities across the globe. Our extensive network of more than one million members worldwide spans nearly every discipline essential to constructing, connecting, and sustaining the built environment—from architecture, engineering, and real estate development to planning, policy, and public investment—driving engagement, innovation, and the meaningful transformation of urban areas. We disseminate industry-leading knowledge through hundreds of multidisciplinary programs each year—conferences, awards, funded research, and academic partnerships—anchored by a rich repository of publications and online resources, including the world’s most comprehensive database of detailed information and images for 40,000+ tall buildings around the world. Best known as the global arbiter of building height, conferring the official title of “world’s tallest building,” CVU is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Toronto, Shanghai, and Venice.
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