Karachi has once again been ranked among the five least liveable cities in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), an affiliate of The Economist.
In its latest Global Liveability Index, the metropolis placed 170th out of 173 cities evaluated globally, securing an overall score of 42.7 out of 100, with 100 representing the highest level of liveability.
The only Pakistani city to appear in the rankings, Karachi continues to fare poorly on key indicators. It was placed just above Dhaka (Bangladesh), Tripoli (Libya) and Damascus (Syria), which rounded out the bottom of the list.
The annual report evaluates cities across five key categories: health care, stability, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. It is primarily used by companies to determine hardship allowances when relocating employees to different regions.
At the other end of the spectrum, Copenhagen claimed the top position with a near-perfect score of 98. Vienna and Zurich followed, each scoring 97.1, while Melbourne and Geneva earned scores of 97.0 and 96.8, respectively.
Karachi’s low standing in the EIU ranking reflects a broader pattern.
In previous years, it has consistently been compared with cities facing conflict, economic instability or infrastructural collapse. In last year’s index, it appeared alongside Lagos, Tripoli, Algiers and Damascus. In the 2022 report, Karachi ranked 169th out of 173.
Concerns about Karachi’s deteriorating urban environment are not new. A report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in October last year found that the overall liveability of Pakistani cities is declining.
Urban centres, particularly Karachi, were described as becoming increasingly inefficient, scoring poorly on global competitiveness indices due to challenges such as congestion, pollution and poor urban planning.
