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Karachi fourth worst city in global livability index 2025
Karachi has been ranked as the fourth least liveable city in the world, according to the Livability Index 2025 released on Tuesday by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a research arm of The Economist Group.
Placed 170th out of 173 cities assessed globally, Karachi was the only Pakistani city included in the index. It ranked just above Dhaka (Bangladesh), Tripoli (Libya), and Damascus (Syria), which retained the bottom position.
The EIU's liveability index evaluates cities across five categories — stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure — using more than 30 indicators to arrive at the final scores.
Copenhagen was named the most liveable city in the world, earning near-perfect scores in stability, education, and infrastructure, with an overall score of 98 out of 100.
Read more: Karachi ranks among least liveable cities in global survey once again
It replaced last year's leader, Vienna, which dropped to second place due to two foiled terrorist attacks that impacted its stability score. Zurich tied with Vienna in second place, while Geneva rounded out the top five, underlining the dominance of Western European cities in the index.
Melbourne, with a score of 97, was the only non-European city to break into the top five, ranking fourth. Other Southern Hemisphere cities featured prominently in the top ten, including Sydney (6th), Osaka (7th), Auckland (8th), and Adelaide (9th). Vancouver (10th) was North America's only representative in the top tier.
Several cities in the UK — including London, Manchester and Edinburgh — saw declines in their positions, attributed to widespread civil unrest and rising homelessness. London and New York were ranked 54th and 69th respectively, with congestion, crime and terrorism threats weighing down their scores.
Canadian cities also dropped in the rankings, largely due to lower healthcare scores across the board.
The report noted that the Middle East showed the most significant improvement, driven by enhancements in healthcare and education in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
In South Asia, most cities ranked poorly, with the EIU citing high pollution levels, extreme temperatures, and regional tensions. Ongoing military confrontations along the Kashmir border contributed to lower stability scores for several Indian cities.
Damascus remained at the bottom of the list. However, the EIU suggested the situation may improve in future editions, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December and the subsequent easing of US sanctions.
The report concluded that while inflationary pressures had somewhat eased, rising geopolitical tensions posed new risks to urban stability and overall quality of life across many regions.
