20 of the Tallest Statues In The World

Humans love tall things. From the Pyramids and other ancient giant structures in Egypt to the astonishing earthworks of Indigenous American people, to the Colossus of Rhodes, people like to build big. And people specifically love to create big statues.

In the modern era, it’s a race to the top. Statues are built to chase the coveted tallest-in-the-world status, with many only briefly holding the title. 

Presented here are the giants currently occupying the top of the world’s tallest-statue rankings. A few are exactly the same height, so tied statues share the same rank and the numbering skips ahead. That’s why the list finishes with two statues tied for 19th place — there are still 20 statues altogether.

To give you an idea of scale, each statue is also compared with the 151-foot Statue of Liberty itself, without its pedestal.

Rank	Statue	Country/region	Statue height
1	Statue of Unity	India	182 m / 597 ft
2	Spring Temple Buddha	China	128 m / 420 ft
3	Laykyun Sekkya	Myanmar	115.8 m / 380 ft
4	Statue of Belief	India	112 m / 369 ft
5	Ushiku Daibutsu	Japan	100 m / 328 ft
6	Guishan Guanyin	China	99 m / 325 ft
7	Mother of All Asia – Tower of Peace	Philippines	98.15 m / 322 ft
8	Great Buddha of Thailand	Thailand	92 m / 302 ft
8	Sendai Dai Kannon	Japan	92 m / 302 ft
10	Dai Kannon of Kita no Miyako Park	Japan	88 m / 289 ft
11	The Motherland Calls	Russia	85 m / 279 ft
12	Grand Buddha at Ling Shan	China	79 m / 259 ft
13	Guanyin of Nanshan	China	78 m / 256 ft
14	Gautama Buddha, Kyaikhto	Myanmar	77.9 m / 256 ft
15	Dizang at Mount Jiuhua	China	76 m / 249 ft
16	Garuda Wisnu Kencana	Indonesia	75 m / 246 ft
16	Phra Buddha Chok	Thailand	75 m / 246 ft
18	Kaga Kannon	Japan	73 m / 240 ft
19	Buddha statue at Sơn Tây, Hanoi	Vietnam	72 m / 236 ft
19	Confucius of Mount Ni	China	72 m / 236 ft

We have done our best to use the height of the statue itself and exclude separate pedestals, bases and supporting structures. However, monuments are measured differently by different sources, and some published statue heights may include integral features such as thrones or lotus seats. Heights may therefore vary slightly between sources.

1. Statue of Unity, India

• 182 m / 597 ft
• 3.95 Statues of Liberty

The reigning champ of the tallest statue club, the Statue of Unity was inaugurated in 2018 to honor Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the “Iron Man of India.”

As India’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Patel played a leading role in integrating more than 560 princely states into newly independent India.

2. Spring Temple Buddha, China

• 128 m / 420 ft
• 2.78 Statues of Liberty

This enormous copper Buddha took eleven years to build, from 1997 to 2008. It managed to hang on to the “Tallest Statue in the World” crown for a decade until the Statue of Unity nabbed the title. 

3. Laykyun Sekkya, Myanmar

• 115.8 m / 380 ft
• 2.52 Statues of Liberty

Depicting Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, this giant monument opened in 2008 after 12 years of construction.

The project was largely funded by donations, making its enormous scale even more impressive.

4. Statue of Belief, India

• 112 m / 369 ft
• 2.44 Statues of Liberty

Also known as Vishwas Swaroopam, this concrete giant is the tallest statue of Lord Shiva and currently sits comfortably among the tallest statues anywhere in the world.

It took a decade to build and features a thrilling glass skywalk near the top.

5. Ushiku Daibutsu, Japan

• 100 m / 328 ft
• 2.17 Statues of Liberty

For years, Ushiku Daibutsu was the giant to beat. Completed in 1993, it held the title of world’s tallest statue until the Spring Temple Buddha came along.

Visitors can actually go inside, where several levels contain exhibits and spaces for Buddhist worship, including a golden gallery lined with thousands of small Buddha statues. Pray, copy sutras or request memorial services.

6. Guishan Guanyin, China

• 99 m / 325 ft
• 2.15 Statues of Liberty

This massive golden monument claims to be the tallest outdoor statue of the thousand-hand Bodhisattva.

The many-handed golden edifice is said to symbolize the infinite capacity to help those who are suffering.

7. Mother of All Asia – Tower of Peace, Philippines

• 98.15 m / 322 ft
• 2.13 Statues of Liberty

The tallest statue of the Virgin Mary in the world, the Mother of All Asia is commonly referred to as the only livable statue.

Inside is 12,353 square meters (132,967 square feet) of usable floor space, including chapels, theaters, a food hall, conference rooms and even residential areas.

8. Great Buddha of Thailand

• 92 m / 302 ft
• 2.00 Statues of Liberty

The biggest statue of Buddha in Thailand, this gold-painted concrete statue took 18 years to build before being completed in 2008.

Visitors are encouraged to touch Buddha’s right hand for blessings. Nearby, things get considerably less serene: a Buddhist hell garden contains graphic statues showing the punishments awaiting wrongdoers.

8. Sendai Dai Kannon, Japan

• 92 m / 302 ft
• 2.00 Statues of Liberty

Kannon is the bodhisattva associated with compassion in Japanese Buddhism, and this enormous version doubles as an impressive place of worship.

Visitors can go inside the statue and see smaller statues depicting the 33 forms of the Dai Kannon, and 108 Buddhas, each associated with the worldly desires and emotions that humans have, according to Buddhist tradition.

10. Dai Kannon of Kita no Miyako Park, Japan

• 88 m / 289 ft
• 1.91 Statues of Liberty

Another statue of Dai Kannon, the Kita no Miyako Park Kannon was completed in 1989 and held the “World’s Tallest” record for two years before Sendai Dai Kannon overtook it.

The Kita no Miyako Dai Kannon is one of the survivors of a wave of giant statues built during the Japanese economic boom of the 1980s. 

11. The Motherland Calls, Russia

• 85 m / 279 ft
• 1.85 Statues of Liberty

Part of the enormous Mamayev Kurgan memorial commemorating the Battle of Stalingrad, The Motherland Calls was the tallest statue in the world when it was completed in 1967.

Its dramatic forward-striding pose, outstretched arm and enormous raised sword made it an extraordinary engineering challenge. Even more surprisingly, the colossal statue is not rigidly anchored to its foundation but relies largely on its immense weight for stability.

12. Grand Buddha at Ling Shan, China

• 79 m / 259 ft
• 1.72 Statues of Liberty

Completed and consecrated in the late 1990s, the Grand Buddha at Ling Shan is an enormous bronze statue of Amitābha Buddha near Wuxi, China. The figure itself rises around 259 feet, while its lotus pedestal takes the complete monument to 289 feet.

The project was strongly supported by Zhao Puchu, then president of the Buddhist Association of China, who helped approve the site and gave the statue its name.

The Lingshan Grand Buddha is also grouped with four other major Buddhist monuments as one of the “Five Directional Buddhas of China.”

13. Guanyin of Nanshan, China

• 78 m / 256 ft
• 1.7 Statues of Liberty

Completed in 2005, this incredible statue has three different faces. One looks inland toward Hainan, while the other two gaze out over the South China Sea.

Each face holds something different: Buddha beads, a lotus, and a small case, meant to represent benevolence, peace, and wisdom.

The statue itself is 256 feet tall, although the full monument reaches 354 feet when its enormous base is included.

14. Gautama Buddha, Kyaikhto, Myanmar

• 77.9 m / 256 ft
• 1.69 Statues of Liberty

Myanmar clearly has a thing for monumental Buddhas.

Completed in Kyaikhto, a city in Mon State in 2019, this seated Gautama Buddha reaches almost 256 feet and gives Myanmar yet another entry among the tallest statues in the world.

15. Dizang at Mount Jiuhua, China

• 76 m / 249 ft
• 1.65 Statues of Liberty

Mount Jiuhua is one of China’s great Buddhist sacred mountains and is particularly associated with “Ksitigarbha”, known in China as Dizang.

Apparently a normal-sized tribute wasn’t going to cut it. The enormous bronze Dizang rises 249 feet on its own, while its lotus pedestal takes the monument to around 325 feet.

16. Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Indonesia

• 75 m / 246 ft
• 1.63 Statues of Liberty

Constructed to be the tallest statue in Indonesia, Garuda Wisnu Kencana depicts the Hindu god Vishnu riding Garuda, the enormous mythical bird that also serves as Indonesia’s national emblem.

While the project started in 1990, it was delayed in 1997 by the Asian economic crisis. It resumed construction in 2013 and the statue was inaugurated in 2018.

The statue itself stands about 246 feet tall. Add its huge pedestal and the whole monument rises to roughly 400 feet, which explains why you’ll often see a much bigger height quoted for it.

16. Phra Buddha Chok, Thailand

• 75 m / 246 ft
• 1.63 Statues of Liberty

Standing in Lop Buri Province, Phra Buddha Chok was completed in 2018 and rises 246 feet above the surrounding landscape.

That makes it one of Thailand’s tallest Buddha statues, although even this giant is overshadowed by the Great Buddha of Thailand further up the list.

18. Kaga Kannon, Japan

• 73 m / 240 ft
• 1.59 Statues of Liberty

The Dai Kannon in Kaga, Japan, was built in 1987 by Toshio Shimanaka, the Building King of the Kansai. Depicting Dai Kannon holding a baby, visitors were once even able to climb a spiral staircase inside the statue and look out through small windows over the Sea of Japan and the Kaga Plain.

The idea was to create a utopian religious and leisure retreat to revitalize and improve tourism but things didn’t go to plan. After Japan’s economic bubble burst, many of the surrounding attractions closed and parts of the complex fell into ruin.

19. Buddha Statue at Sơn Tây, Hanoi, Vietnam

• 72 m / 236 ft
• 1.56 Statues of Liberty

This enormous Amitābha Buddha stands at Khai Nguyên Pagoda in Sơn Tây, on the outskirts of Hanoi. Construction began in 2015 and recent visitor reports indicate that finishing work on the wider project is still continuing.

Despite this, the pagoda hosts several religious festivals and ceremonies throughout the year. The structure contains multiple floors inside, with spaces devoted to Buddhist worship and displays.

19. Confucius of Mount Ni, China

• 72 m / 236 ft
• 1.56 Statues of Liberty

Standing at Mount Ni near Qufu, this 236-foot giant depicts Confucius, the enormously influential Chinese philosopher and teacher. Mount Ni is traditionally regarded as his birthplace, so they certainly didn’t go small when it came to commemorating the local legend.

The statue was officially inaugurated in 2018 and towers over the Nishan cultural complex, which was developed around the history and legacy of Confucius.