The ten tallest statues ever constructed, from India's record-breaking Statue of Unity down to the iconic Motherland Calls in Volgograd.
Quick answer: 1. Statue of Unity, 2. Spring Temple Buddha, 3. Laykyun Sekkya Buddha, 4. Vishwas Swaroopam (Statue of Belief), 5. Ushiku Daibutsu, 6. Sendai Daikannon, 7. Zhongyuan Grand Buddha, 8. Peter the Great Statue, 9. Great Buddha of Thailand, 10. Motherland Calls.
These are the ten tallest statues in the world, ranked by total height from base to tip. The list reflects a 21st-century boom in monumental statue-building, driven primarily by Asia: seven of the ten tallest statues stand in China, India, or Myanmar. The Statue of Unity, completed in 2018, more than doubled the height of the previous record holder. All entries are freestanding statues representing human or deity figures. The list excludes towers, monuments that are primarily architectural (such as the Washington Monument), and statues that are part of a larger structure (like the Christ the King statue in Poland atop a mound).
The world's tallest statue, depicting Indian independence leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Completed in 2018 on Sadhu Bet island in the Narmada River, it more than doubled the previous height record. Its construction used 100,000 tonnes of concrete and 5,700 tonnes of steel.
The tallest Buddha statue in the world, located in the Fodushan Scenic Area of Henan, China. The figure itself stands 108 m, but the total height including the lotus throne and pedestal reaches 153 m. It was completed in 2008.
The second-tallest Buddha statue in the world, standing in Myanmar's Khakaborazi region. It represents a standing Buddha with a smaller reclining Buddha at its base.
The world's tallest Shiva statue, opened in 2022 in Nathdwara, Rajasthan. It depicts Lord Shiva in a seated meditation posture and was built with a steel frame clad in bronze panelling.
A bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Completed in 1993, it held the title of tallest statue in the world for 15 years before being surpassed by the Spring Temple Buddha.
A statue of the goddess Kannon (Guanyin) in Sendai, Japan. Completed in 1991, it was the tallest statue in the world until the Ushiku Daibutsu was completed two years later.
A colossal Buddha statue in Lushan County, Henan, China — the same county as the Spring Temple Buddha. It is carved into a hillside and stands at the center of a large Buddhist temple complex.
A controversial monument in Moscow commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy. Designed by Zurab Tsereteli, it depicts Peter the Great standing on a ship. Its aesthetic has been widely criticised.
Also known as the Big Buddha or Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin, standing in Wat Muang temple in Ang Thong province. It is the tallest Buddha statue in Thailand.
A monumental concrete statue on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, commemorating the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad. It is the tallest statue in Europe and one of the tallest statues of a female figure in the world.
| # | Name | Location | Figure Height | Base Height | Completed | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Statue of Unity | Narmada Valley, Gujarat, India | 147 m | 35 m | 2018 | Vallabhbhai Patel |
| 2 | Spring Temple Buddha | Lushan County, Henan, China | 108 m | 45 m | 2008 | Vairocana Buddha |
| 3 | Laykyun Sekkya Buddha | Monywa, Sagaing Region, Myanmar | 116 m | 13.4 m | 2008 | Gautama Buddha |
| 4 | Vishwas Swaroopam (Statue of Belief) | Nathdwara, Rajasthan, India | 102 m | 10 m | 2022 | Shiva |
| 5 | Ushiku Daibutsu | Ushiku, Ibaraki, Japan | 100 m | 10 m | 1993 | Amitabha Buddha |
| 6 | Sendai Daikannon | Sendai, Miyagi, Japan | 92 m | 8 m | 1991 | Kannon (Guanyin) |
| 7 | Zhongyuan Grand Buddha | Lushan County, Henan, China | 99 m | 0 m (hill-carved) | 2002 | Vairocana Buddha |
| 8 | Peter the Great Statue | Moscow, Russia | 78 m | 20 m | 1997 | Peter the Great |
| 9 | Great Buddha of Thailand | Ang Thong, Thailand | 92 m | 0 m (ground-level) | 2008 | Gautama Buddha |
| 10 | Motherland Calls | Volgograd, Russia | 85 m | 2 m | 1967 | Mother Motherland |
Statues are ranked by total height in metres, measured from the base of the pedestal or platform to the highest point of the figure. Only completed, freestanding statues representing a human, deity, or anthropomorphic figure are included. Towers, obelisks, and non-representational monuments are excluded. Heights are drawn from official sources, engineering records, and cross-checked against authoritative surveys. Where a statue has both a base and a figure, the combined height is used. Rank 1 is the tallest.
The Statue of Unity in Gujarat, India, at 182 m (597 ft) tall, including its 35 m base. It depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a leader of the Indian independence movement, and was inaugurated in October 2018.
The Spring Temple Buddha in Henan, China (153 m) held the title from its 2008 completion until 2018. Before that, the Ushiku Daibutsu in Japan (110 m) had been the tallest since 1993.
Japan and China each have three statues in the top ten: Japan (Ushiku Daibutsu, Sendai Daikannon, and one of the Buddha statues), and China/India with multiple entries across the list.
No. The Statue of Liberty stands 93 m (305 ft) from ground to torch tip, including its 46 m pedestal. This would place it around 9th on the all-time list, but it is typically excluded from the "tallest statues" rankings because its height includes a large pedestal and the figure itself is only 46 m.