The unlivable city

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For yet another year, Karachi has been branded one of the world's least livable cities, ranking 170 out of 173 in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2025 Global Liveability Index. With a dismal score of 42.7 on a 100-point scale, Karachi barely edged out Dhaka, Tripoli and Damascus to stay out of last place. It should be noted however that Dhaka has been at the centre of a political revolution that led to the overthrow of the Bangladeshi government and several protests, some of which turned violent.

Tripoli has been ravaged by a civil war and repeated flare-ups since the Arab Spring began in 2011, while Damascus has just emerged from the brutality of the Syrian civil war. Karachi, on the other hand, has no civil war or uprising to blame. It just is that much of a mess.

The city's woes are multifaceted, rooted in decades of neglect and misguided priorities. Karachi scored worst in "stability" and "infrastructure" — even worse than war zones where roads, highways and hospitals are being bombed — and it remains plagued by crime, terrorism and inadequate public services. In fact, a Forbes Adviser list last year placed Karachi as the second riskiest city for international tourists.

An Asian Development Bank report also offered more context for Karachi's problems, drawing a direct link between grotesque income inequality and the city's major problems. While it is quite difficult to make things worse,

Mayor Murtaza Wahab's defence was simultaneously lamentable as he criticised the survey for overlooking Karachi's "vibrancy" and "resilience." Other cities generally described as vibrant include Vienna and Damascus, which are polar opposites in almost every other measure.

Beyond security, many of the problems holding Karachi back are unique to Pakistan, including the commercial emphasis on property speculation, which is more lucrative for businesses and politicians, rather than affordable housing developments, which are direly needed and still profitable.