World's least liveable cities in 2026: These 7 cities rank last
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World's 7 least liveable cities in 2026, according to EIU
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranked 173 cities in its Global Liveability Index 2026 based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Here are the seven lowest-ranked cities in this year's index.
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Damascus, Syria
Damascus is ranked as the world's least liveable city in the EIU Global Liveability Index 2026. The Syrian capital has remained at the bottom of the rankings for years as prolonged conflict continues to affect stability, healthcare, infrastructure and public services. These challenges have kept its overall liveability score among the lowest globally.
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Tripoli, Libya
Tripoli is the world's second least liveable city in 2026, according to the EIU. Years of political instability and security challenges have continued to weigh on the Libyan capital's performance, particularly in the stability category, while infrastructure and public services also remain under pressure.
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Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dhaka ranks as the third least liveable city in the world in 2026. One of the world's fastest-growing megacities, it continues to face pressure from rapid urbanisation, traffic congestion and infrastructure constraints, which affected its overall liveability score in the EIU rankings.
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Karachi, Pakistan
Karachi is ranked the fourth least liveable city in the EIU Global Liveability Index 2026. Pakistan's commercial capital scored lower on stability, infrastructure and healthcare, reflecting the challenges associated with managing one of South Asia's largest urban centres.
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Algiers, Algeria
Algiers occupies the fifth spot among the world's least liveable cities in 2026. The Algerian capital recorded comparatively lower scores across multiple indicators measured by the EIU, including infrastructure and aspects of culture and environment, affecting its overall ranking.
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Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos is the sixth least liveable city in the world in 2026. Despite being Nigeria's financial hub and one of Africa's largest cities, it continues to face challenges related to infrastructure, healthcare and urban congestion, which weighed on its overall score.
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Kyiv, Ukraine
Kyiv ranks seventh among the world's least liveable cities in 2026. The Ukrainian capital's position in the EIU rankings continues to be affected by the ongoing war, with the conflict significantly impacting its stability score despite improvements in other aspects of city life.