Pakistan’s Karachi Named World’s Fourth Least Liveable City in 2026 Ranking

Karachi, Pakistan’s economic hub, has once again been placed among the world’s least liveable cities, with delayed development projects, weak coordination and administrative shortcomings continuing to affect the city’s quality of life. Despite its major economic importance, Karachi continues to face serious challenges involving infrastructure, public services, the environment and security. A report has highlighted how inadequate civic facilities, weak urban planning and declining living conditions have contributed to the city’s poor standing in international liveability rankings. According to a report by The Express Tribune Magazine, residents of Karachi face a range of everyday difficulties, including an unreliable water supply, overcrowded public transport, damaged roads, piles of waste and growing concerns about personal safety. The problems facing the city are not linked to a single failure but have developed over years due to delayed decision-making, poor coordination between government institutions and inadequate implementation of development plans. Several projects announced by authorities to address Karachi’s problems have remained incomplete for years, while the city’s growing population continues to put additional pressure on already strained public services. For many residents, these difficulties have become part of their daily lives. A large number of people reportedly spend thousands of rupees every month purchasing water that should otherwise be available through the public supply network. Residents also spend hours travelling on crowded public transport or remain stuck in traffic because of incomplete roadwork. Concerns over street crime have further added to the challenges faced by citizens. The Express Tribune Magazine report said that successive federal and Sindh governments have announced ambitious development plans for Karachi. However, several major projects have been delayed for years because of funding shortages, administrative delays, contractual disputes and allegations of corruption. As a result, millions of residents continue to deal with infrastructure that has failed to keep pace with Karachi’s rapid growth. Residents have said that the city’s poor position in international liveability rankings is not merely a statistic but reflects their daily struggles to find water, travel on damaged roads, live amid unmanaged waste and remain concerned about personal safety. Karachi Ranks 170th Out of 173 Cities In July, Karachi was ranked the fourth least liveable city in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) annual Global Liveability Index 2026. The city was placed 170th among 173 cities evaluated in the ranking. According to a report by Pakistan-based daily Dawn, only Dhaka, Damascus and Tripoli were ranked below Karachi. The EIU ranking is a globally recognised measure of urban liveability and resilience. It assesses cities across several indicators, including healthcare, stability, culture and environment, education and infrastructure, to evaluate the challenges associated with living in a particular location. Karachi Scores 43 Out of 100 Karachi received an overall score of 43 out of 100 in the 2026 ranking. Its scores across different categories were: Stability: 20 Healthcare: 54 Culture and Environment: 36 Education: 75 Infrastructure: 52 The ranking highlights the continuing challenges faced by Karachi in providing adequate infrastructure and public services for its rapidly growing population.