The .MALL new gTLD: how many malls exist worldwide?

Finding a precise, up-to-the-minute global count of shopping malls is challenging, as the definition of a "mall" can vary and data is not consistently collected worldwide. However, some reliable estimates and data points can give us a good idea of the scale.

The most detailed data often comes from the United States, where the number of shopping centers has fluctuated significantly over time. One estimate suggests that in 2010, the U.S. had just under 108,000 shopping centers. However, due to shifts in retail, that number is estimated to have dropped significantly, with some sources claiming only around 1,000 still operating as traditional malls.

For a worldwide perspective, a new research report from global real estate advisor CBRE indicates that a total of 33.5 million square meters of shopping center space is currently under construction across the world's major cities. This shows that while some regions are seeing a decline, others are still investing heavily in new mall development.

Other resources, such as Wikipedia's category for "Shopping malls by country," show extensive lists of malls in various nations, suggesting a very large global number, though not a specific total.

This indicates that while it's difficult to get an exact number, the total count of shopping malls worldwide is in the tens of thousands, with a dynamic landscape of new construction and closures.

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