Karachi has once again been ranked among the world's least liveable cities, placing 170th out of 173 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2026 — making it the fourth least liveable city on the planet. The ranking, released in July 2026, underscores decades of governance failures in a city that remains Pakistan's economic engine yet cannot provide its millions of residents with basic urban services.

Where Karachi Stands in the EIU Rankings

Karachi received an overall score of 43 out of 100 in the EIU index, which assesses cities across five indicators: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The city scored 20 on stability, 54 on healthcare, 36 on culture and environment, 75 on education, and 52 on infrastructure.

The only cities ranked below Karachi are Dhaka, Damascus, and Tripoli. The EIU index is a globally recognised benchmark that evaluates the challenges a city's conditions present to residents' everyday lifestyle and long-term wellbeing.

The Daily Reality for Karachi's Residents

According to a detailed report published in Pakistan's Express Tribune magazine, authored by Razzak Abro and Syed Ashraf Ali, the liveability crisis is not an abstraction — it is the daily experience of millions. Residents reportedly spend thousands of rupees each month purchasing water that should be available through the public supply network.

'International liveability rankings have repeatedly highlighted Karachi's struggles with inadequate civic facilities, weak urban planning, and declining quality of life. Behind these rankings are everyday realities faced by millions of residents: unreliable water supplies, overcrowded transport, damaged roads, piles of garbage and growing concerns about personal safety,' the report stated.

Commuters face hours in overcrowded public transport or traffic gridlock caused by perpetually incomplete road works. Concerns over street crime, the report noted, have become a persistent feature of urban life in the city.

Years of Delayed Projects and Weak Governance

The Express Tribune report argues that Karachi's crisis is systemic rather than situational. 'Together, these failures illustrate why Karachi continues to struggle in global liveability rankings. While successive federal and Sindh governments have announced ambitious development plans, many flagship projects remain years behind schedule, hampered by funding shortages, administrative delays, contractual disputes and allegations of corruption,' the article stated.

The authors attributed the city's deterioration to years of delayed decision-making, weak coordination between government institutions, and inadequate implementation of development plans. Several projects announced as solutions to Karachi's challenges have reportedly remained incomplete for years, even as a rapidly growing population places mounting pressure on already strained services.

A City Whose Importance Outpaces Its Infrastructure

Karachi's predicament is particularly stark given its economic centrality to Pakistan. The city generates a disproportionate share of national tax revenue and trade, yet its infrastructure has, according to the Express Tribune report, 'failed to keep pace with the city's rapid growth.' This gap between economic significance and urban quality of life is at the heart of Karachi's recurring poor performance in global rankings.

Notably, this is not the first year Karachi has featured near the bottom of the EIU index — the city's presence in the bottom tier has become a pattern, reflecting entrenched structural failures rather than a temporary dip. With no major governance overhaul currently signalled by either federal or provincial authorities, analysts expect little near-term improvement in the city's standing.