Economic Drivers

Since the launch of China’s economic reforms nearly four decades ago, its cities have undergone extraordinary expansion, driven by large-scale rural-to-urban migration and reflected in rapidly rising skylines and burgeoning business districts. Despite the vast number of skyscrapers erected as symbols of economic strength, relatively little is known about the forces behind their construction. This report employs economic analysis to test several hypotheses about the underlying drivers of skyscraper development, recognizing that China’s distinctive economic system—along with social, political, and symbolic motivations—may shape construction patterns beyond traditional market fundamentals. Using a comprehensive dataset of skyscrapers completed between 1980 and 2014 across 74 Chinese cities, multiple regression models assess the extent to which construction aligns with economic realities versus competitive ambitions among cities. The findings provide strong evidence for the economic logic underpinning China’s unprecedented skyscraper boom and offer a foundation for future research into the critical role of skyscrapers in the country’s urbanization.