Karachi Emerges as One of Least Livable Cities in the World

Karachi, once a shining port city known for its state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern education, was again ranked as the least livable city in a global survey.

According to CNN, the Economist Intelligence Unit, affiliated with The Economist, evaluated 173 cities worldwide on key factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, stability, infrastructure, and education.

Cities were rated on a scale from one to 100, where one signifies an intolerable living condition and 100 represents an ideal one. Karachi was ranked 169th, with an overall score of 42.7, performing particularly poorly in the stability category, scoring only 20.

Karachi’s scores included 54.2 for healthcare, 35.9 for culture and environment, 75 for education, and 51.8 for infrastructure. Other cities trailing Karachi with even worse living conditions included Lagos in Nigeria, Algiers in Algeria, Tripoli in Libya, and Damascus in Syria.

The report emerges amid a prolonged political and economic crisis in Pakistan. In contrast, Vienna, Austria, continues to top the list with an impressive overall score of 98.4. Copenhagen, Denmark, retained its second position, while Zurich, Switzerland, climbed from sixth to third.

Western Europe generally performed well, with 30 cities averaging 92 out of 100. However, the region experienced a decline in stability scores due to “increasing instances of disruptive protests” and crime.

The top 10 “most livable cities” of 2024 are:

1. Vienna, Austria
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Zurich, Switzerland
4. Melbourne, Australia
5. Calgary, Canada
6. Geneva, Switzerland
7. Sydney, Australia
8. Vancouver, Canada
9. Osaka, Japan
10. Auckland, New Zealand