Karachi ranks among world's fourth least liveable cities

Karachi has been ranked as the world's fourth least liveable city in the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2026, placing 170th among 173 cities assessed.

The annual index evaluates living conditions across 173 cities using five categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. It is widely used as a benchmark for assessing urban liveability and resilience.

Karachi received an overall score of 43 out of 100, matching Algiers. The city scored 20 for stability, 54 for healthcare, 36 for culture and environment, 75 for education, and 52 for infrastructure.

Only Dhaka, Tripoli and Damascus ranked below Karachi, while Tehran, at 164th, and Kyiv, at 166th, scored slightly higher despite being affected by war.

According to the EIU, large cities are often penalised by challenges such as traffic congestion and crime, which weigh on their overall liveability.

Cities across the Middle East also slipped in the rankings following the United States-Iran conflict. Muscat recorded the steepest decline, dropping 14 places to 123rd after a series of Iranian drone strikes. Doha fell seven places to 108th, while Dubai and Abu Dhabi each dropped four positions to 79th and 76th, respectively. Kuwait City also moved lower in the rankings.

At the top of the index, Copenhagen retained its position as the world's most liveable city, followed by Vienna and Melbourne. Vancouver, ranked ninth, was the only North American city in the top 10, while Tokyo, in 10th place, was the only megacity to feature in the list.