The 10 Largest Shopping Malls in Asia

Iran Mall in Tehran sits at the top of the Asian list at about 21 million square feet of gross floor area, which also makes it the largest single shopping complex anywhere in the world. IOI City Mall in Putrajaya is next at about 8.84 million square feet of gross leasable area after its 2022 expansion. The New South China Mall and Isfahan City Center fill out the top four. Three of the ten biggest are in or just outside Bangkok. The complexes pack ice rinks, indoor theme parks, hotels, museums, and rooftop hiking trails alongside the retail floors. Note that mall sizes are reported on two slightly different bases: gross floor area (GFA, including non-tenant space) and gross leasable area (GLA, tenant-only). The figures below note which standard each entry uses where the distinction matters.

1. Iran Mall, Iran
2. IOI City Mall, Malaysia
3. New South China Mall, China
4. The Isfahan City Center, Iran
5. The SM Mall of Asia, Philippines
6. SM Tianjin, China
7. The Golden Resources Mall, China
8. Central WestGate, Thailand
9. CentralWorld, Thailand
10. ICONSIAM, Thailand

1. Iran Mall, Iran - 21,000,000 ft² (1,950,000 m²)

The Iran Mall in northwest Tehran is the largest shopping mall in the world by gross floor area. The complex covers 21,000,000 ft² and packs a swimming pool, an ice-skating rink, a hotel, a tennis court, and rooftop hiking and cycling trails into the same campus as the retail floors. Whether visitors come for shopping or for the side amenities, the Iran Mall is built to handle the full-day stay.

2. IOI City Mall, Malaysia - 8,840,000 ft² (821,000 m²)

In the heart of Putrajaya, Malaysia, IOI City Mall is the second-largest shopping mall in Asia at about 8,840,000 ft² of gross leasable area following its Phase 2 expansion, which more than doubled the original 2014 footprint. The mall holds about 650 stores including international and local brands and runs the range from major department stores down to designer boutiques. Two ice-skating rinks with Olympic-size ice surfaces operate on the retail floors, with public skating sessions through the day. The mall is the anchor of the planned Putrajaya commercial district.

3. New South China Mall, China - 7,100,000 ft² (659,612 m²)

At 7,100,000 ft², the New South China Mall in Dongguan is the third-largest shopping mall in Asia. The mall was famously dubbed the "Ghost Mall" for years after its 2005 opening when most storefronts sat empty and roller coasters and canal-ride attractions ran without customers. Tenant occupancy has improved since the mid-2010s under new management, but parts of the complex still operate well below capacity. The mall remains the standard cautionary tale about overbuilt Chinese retail of the boom era.

4. The Isfahan City Center, Iran - 7,000,000 ft² (650,000 m²)

The Isfahan City Center, fourth on the Asia list, opened in 2012 and spans 7,000,000 ft². The complex packs in a museum, an indoor theme park with a roller coaster and bumper cars, and a five-star hotel alongside the retail floors. The mall sits on the eastern outskirts of Isfahan, the historic Safavid capital and one of Iran's most important tourist cities.

5. The SM Mall of Asia, Philippines - 6,349,530 ft² (589,891 m²)

The SM Mall of Asia is in Pasay, on the southern edge of Metro Manila, and is the fifth-largest mall in Asia. The complex opened in 2006 and now draws around 200,000 daily visitors, which puts it among the busiest shopping centers in the world. The standard attractions are the IMAX Theater, the Galeón Museum on Spanish-galleon trade history, the indoor skating rink, and the on-site hotels. The mall sits on Manila Bay with the bayfront promenade running along its western edge.

6. SM Tianjin, China - 6,080,000 ft² (565,000 m²)

SM Tianjin opened in 2016 in the Tianjin Airport Economic Area and covers 6,080,000 ft² with about 2,500 retail outlets. The complex is composed of five thematic buildings named for the Chinese classical elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Wood. The mall is now one of the biggest retail centers in northern China and serves the Beijing-Tianjin metropolitan corridor.

7. The Golden Resources Mall, China - 6,000,000 ft² (557,419 m²)

The Golden Resources Mall in Beijing is the seventh-largest mall in Asia. The mall opened in 2004 and spans 6,000,000 ft² across six floors, with a 206-foot-tall entrance gate that gives the building its distinctive profile from the street. The mall sits in the Haidian District on the west side of the city and connects to the Beijing subway system, which has steadily expanded patronage over the past two decades.

8. Central WestGate, Thailand - 5,923,140 ft² (550,278 m²)

Central WestGate (formally CentralPlaza WestGate) is the eighth-largest mall in Asia at about 5,923,140 ft² of gross floor area. The mall opened in 2015 in Nonthaburi Province just outside Bangkok, purpose-built as part of Thailand's push to grow regional retail hubs outside the city center. The complex holds hundreds of Thai and international brands alongside more than 200 restaurants and food outlets.

9. CentralWorld, Thailand - 5,900,000 ft² (550,000 m²)

CentralWorld is in central Bangkok and opened in 1990 as the World Trade Center before it was rebranded under its current name in 2005. The complex includes the retail floors, an office tower, and the Centara Grand luxury hotel. CentralWorld Square in front of the mall is the city's largest outdoor public-event space and is the annual host of Bangkok's New Year's Eve countdown that draws crowds in the hundreds of thousands.

10. ICONSIAM, Thailand - 5,650,000 ft² (525,000 m²)

ICONSIAM closes out the list at 5,650,000 ft². The mall opened in 2018 on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, with the riverfront promenade and the mall's signature water features facing the historic side of the city across the river. The complex hosts the first Apple Store in Thailand, an indoor floating-market food hall, a Heritage Museum, and a riverside park alongside the retail floors.

The ten malls above are all in Asia and represent the bulk of the world's largest retail complexes. The list reflects the post-2000 mall-building surge in China, Iran, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, alongside the older anchors like CentralWorld in Bangkok. The longer table below extends the ranking out to the top 25 across the continent. Note that GLA and GFA are reported inconsistently across sources, so cross-list comparisons should be treated with some tolerance.

The 25 Biggest Malls In Asia