Karachi struggles at the bottom of Global Liveability Index 2026

The annual Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index for 2026 has been officially released. It has delivered  contrasting narratives of urban development across 173 cities worldwide. The index evaluates urban areas across five primary categories: stability, healthcare, infrastructure, education, along with culture and environment. This year, the results underscore a huge gap between developed global metropolises and struggling urban centers facing severe structural and geopolitical stress.

At the pinnacle of the list, Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, has successfully defended its crown as the world’s most liveable city for the second consecutive year. Achieving an overall score of 98.0 out of 100, Copenhagen secured flawless, perfect 100 scores in infrastructure, stability, and education. The EIU highlighted the city’s robust public services, world-class transit networks, and  successful green transitions as the primary drivers of its consecutive victories. Trailing just behind are Vienna and Melbourne, taking second and third place respectively, completing a highly competitive top tier heavily dominated by Western European and Australian urban centers.

While cities like Copenhagen and Vienna boast pristine infrastructure and premium quality of life, the bottom of the list reveals a harsh reality for millions of urban dwellers. Karachi, the commercial hub of Pakistan, has once again been ranked among the least liveable cities in the world, sitting near the bottom at 170th place out of 173.

With an overall score of just 42.7, Karachi’s urban decay is laid bare by its dismal performance in almost every critical category. The city suffered heavily due to rampant crime, intense traffic congestion, and failing public services, scoring a particularly low 20 out of 100 in stability. The breakdown of Karachi’s performance showcases a city in desperate need of structural overhaul:

Karachi’s 2026 liveability breakdown shows stability 20 / 100, culture & environment 36 / 100, infrastructure 52 / 100, healthcae 54 / 100, and education 75 / 100. Interestingly, education remains the sole bright spot for Karachi, achieving a resilient score of 75. However, its abysmal stability and crumbling infrastructure have anchored the mega-city to the bottom four globally, ranking just slightly ahead of Dhaka (171), Tripoli (172), and war-ravaged Damascus (173). Notably, Karachi placed below cities currently enduring intense geopolitical conflicts, such as Tehran (164) and Kyiv (166).

The 2026 index shows that the average global liveability score has flatlined at 76.1 out of 100. According to the EIU, this stagnation is the result of a balancing act between significant healthcare improvements in East Asia particularly in Chinese cities like Fuzhou and sharp stability declines in the Middle East. Aggressive regional conflicts have dragged down the stability ratings of previously high-performing Gulf cities. Muscat suffered the index’s largest drop by falling 14 spots to 123rd, while Doha and Kuwait City also slid down the ranks.

Ultimately, the 2026 EIU report serves as a wake-up call for municipal authorities in underperforming mega-cities like Karachi. While top-tier European and Asian cities continue to innovate, the bottom of the index highlights how vital political stability and sustained infrastructure investments are to ensuring a basic quality of human life.