Karachi ranks among the world’s “least liveable” cities as Pakistan grapples with ongoing political and economic turmoil.
Once known for its advanced infrastructure and educational systems, Karachi has again been positioned at the bottom of a livability ranking conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, a division of The Economist. The survey evaluated 173 cities worldwide and assessed health care, culture, environment, stability, infrastructure, and education.
According to the 2024 Global Livability Report, Cities received scores ranging from one to 100—where one indicates extremely poor living conditions and 100 represents the ideal. Karachi placed 169th with an overall score of 42.7. It particularly struggled in the stability category, scoring a mere 20.
In other areas, Karachi scored 54.2 for healthcare, 35.9 for culture and environment, 75 for education, and 51.8 for infrastructure.
Following closely behind Karachi, cities like Lagos, Algiers, Tripoli, and Damascus reported even poorer living conditions.
Conversely, Vienna tops the list with an impressive score of 98.4. Copenhagen remains second, while Zurich has climbed to third from sixth. Western Europe overall showed strong performance, with 30 cities averaging a score of 92. However, the region experienced a slight decline in stability due to increased protests and rising crime rates.
Top 10 ‘Most Liveable Cities’ of 2024
| Ranking | City | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vienna | Austria |
| 2 | Copenhagen | Denmark |
| 3 | Zurich | Switzerland |
| 4 | Melbourne | Australia |
| 5 | Calgary | Canada |
| 5 | Geneva | Switzerland |
| 7 | Sydney | Australia |
| 7 | Vancouver | Canada |
| 9 | Osaka | Japan |
| 9 | Auckland | New Zealand |
