KARACHI: The metropolis once again ranked in the bottom five of the world’s ‘least liveable cities’ in a global survey, Dawn.com reported.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the city ranked 170th on a list of 173 cities — just above Dhaka, Tripoli and Damascus — and had a score of 42.7 on the index, where a score of 100 indicates ‘most liveable’.

It was the only Pakistani city to feature on the list, albeit poorly.

Topping the list of most liveable cities was Copenhagen, with a score of 98. Vienna and Zurich tied for second place at 97.1, followed by Melbourne at 97.0 and Geneva with a score of 96.8.

The annual survey — designed to help companies calculate hardship allowances when relocating staff — rates 173 cities across five categories: healthcare, culture and environment, education, infrastructure and stability.

In last year’s ranking, Karachi was compared with Lagos, Tripoli, Algiers and Damascus. The year before, it was ranked 169 out of 173 cities.

Last October, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated that the liveability of cities in Pakistan is declining and urban centres are becoming increasingly inefficient, scoring low on various competitiveness indexes due to congestion, unattractiveness and pollution.

The ADB report assessed that the class division is a major issue in Karachi, as most of the elite reside in cantonment areas or private housing societies, while those on low incomes have been pushed to the city’s largest district, Karachi East.

The city is further divided along religious and ethnic lines, which has led to several outbreaks of violence in the past. Karachi is the only city in Pakistan that is, to some extent, expanding vertically due to limited land and urgent housing needs, the report said.

In July, Karachi was ranked as the second riskiest city for tourists, with a rating of 93.12 out of 100, according to a Forbes Adviser list.

According to the ranking, the city had the highest personal security risk — reflecting dangers from crime, violence, terrorist threats, natural disasters and economic vulnerabilities.

The list stated that Karachi had the second-worst (level 3, reconsider travel) travel safety rating from the US State Department. It further noted that the metropolis had the fourth-highest infrastructure security risk, based on the availability and quality of city infrastructure.

Despite problems, city is vibrant: mayor

Commenting on the findings of this survey, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab expressed his disappointment over the city’s low ranking, but questioned the parameters used to assess urban liveability.

“I feel sad that anyone just comes and gives a verdict,” the mayor remarked. “Yes, there are challenges and issues in the city, but it’s not the way it is being portrayed.”

He asserted that despite its problems, Karachi remains a vibrant and resilient metropolis.

“I keep saying that it’s a great city and we need to fix the problems, but to depict the city in this manner is very unfortunate,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2025