Pakistan's Karachi is one of the least livable cities in the world, according to the 2022 Global Liveability Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The index ranks 172 cities around the world on a number of factors, including stability, healthcare, infrastructure, education, and culture and environment.
Karachi ranked 168th out of 172 cities in the index, with a score of 37.5 out of 100. The city's low score was due to a number of factors, including its high crime rate, poor air quality, and lack of infrastructure.
Karachi's overall score of 37.5 was the lowest of any city in the 2022 Global Liveability Index. The city's score in the stability indicator was particularly low, at just 20 out of 100. This was due to a number of factors, including the city's high crime rate, political instability, and terrorism.
Its score in the healthcare indicator was also low, at 33 out of 100. This was due to the city's inadequate healthcare system, which has long wait times for appointments and a lack of qualified doctors and nurses.
Karachi's score in the culture and environment indicator was 35 out of 100. This was due to the city's poor air quality, lack of green spaces, and high levels of pollution.
Karachi's score in the education indicator was 66 out of 100. This was due to the city's high literacy rate and the availability of good schools.
Karachi's score in the infrastructure indicator was 51 out of 100. This was due to the city's outdated and poorly maintained infrastructure, which includes roads, bridges, water and sanitation systems, and public transportation.
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2022 Global Liveability Index, the other worst living cities include: Damascus in Syria, Tripoli in Libya, and Lagos in Nigeria.
Karachi has consistently fared poorly in the Global Liveability Index. In 2021, it ranked 134th out of 140 cities, and in 2019, it ranked 136th out of 140. The report comes at a time when Pakistan is undergoing a protracted political and economic crisis.
The low ranking of Karachi in the Global Liveability Index is a reflection of the city's many challenges. These challenges include: High crime rate, poor air quality, lack of infrastructure, inadequate healthcare, low education levels.
Meanwhile, the top-performing cities on the Global Liveability Index are mostly from Western Europe and Canada. Vienna, the capital of Austria, secured the top spot with a perfect score of 100 on indicators including stability, healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
"Vienna, with its excellent mix of stability, culture and entertainment, and reliable infrastructure, tops the ranking for the fourth time in five years," the report stated. Copenhagen in Denmark ranked second, while Melbourne claimed the third spot.
These cities are all highly ranked on the index because they offer a high quality of life, with good healthcare, education, and infrastructure. They are also relatively stable and safe, with low crime rates.
The survey also stated that most of the top 50 cities are located in affluent countries, with nine of the top ten cities being small to medium-sized. Large cities, on the other hand, with higher crime rates, congestion, and density, tend to perform poorly in the rankings.
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