Published: July 14, 2025, 11:52 PM
Dhaka has dropped three spots in the latest Global Liveability Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), emerging as the third worst liveable city in the world. Only Damascus, Syria and Tripoli, Libya both war-torn cities rank lower than the Bangladeshi capital.
The 2025 report, published on Monday, shows Dhaka scoring 41.7 out of 100, placing it 171st out of 173 cities evaluated worldwide. In 2024, Dhaka ranked 170th, and in 2023 it held the 167th position.
Copenhagen, Denmark topped the list as the most liveable city, praised for its stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Other cities in the top five include Vienna, Zurich, Melbourne, and Geneva, with scores ranging between 97.1 and 96.8.
The EIU’s index is based on over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors spread across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
Urban planners cite poor governance, lack of coordination among authorities, unplanned development, and inadequate urban services as reasons for Dhaka’s declining liveability.
Shaikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, remarked that Dhaka’s rapid population growth without adequate planning has worsened living conditions. “Utilities and basic services couldn’t keep up with the urban expansion,” he said, adding that decentralisation and a national development strategy are crucial to improving the situation.
He also stressed that Dhaka’s natural ecosystem is severely compromised, and only a comprehensive, planned approach can reverse the decline.
Karachi, Pakistan, is ranked just above Dhaka as the fourth least liveable city, scoring 42.7.
Attempts to reach Dhaka North City Corporation’s administrator Mohammad Azaz for comment were unsuccessful.
