Ranked: The 10 worst cities to live in worldwide in 2026; Lagos, Kyiv make list

• Damascus remains the world's least liveable city in 2026, followed by Tripoli and Dhaka.

• Lagos ranks as the sixth worst city globally, with an overall liveability score of 44 out of 100.

• The EIU says conflict, political instability and weak public services continue to drive poor liveability.

The annual report assessed 173 cities across five key categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Each city received an overall score out of 100, with lower scores reflecting poorer living conditions.

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The EIU uses more than 30 qualitative and quantitative indicators to measure the relative quality of life in cities worldwide. Final scores are grouped into five bands, ranging from acceptable to intolerable, with cities scoring below 40 classified as intolerable.

According to the report, nearly all the cities occupying the bottom of the rankings have been affected by armed conflict, political instability or severe economic challenges, with stability emerging as the weakest category across the board.

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Tehran enters the bottom ten for the first time, ranking 164th out of 173 cities with an overall liveability score of 45 out of 100. The ongoing conflict in Iran has significantly affected the capital's stability, which scored just 40, although healthcare remained comparatively stronger at 63.

Harare ranks 165th globally with an overall score of 45 out of 100. The city continues to struggle with healthcare, scoring only 33 in that category, while education performed relatively well at 67. Stability also remained weak at 40.

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Ukraine's capital slipped to 166th place with an overall score of 45 out of 100 as the war continued to affect daily life. Kyiv recorded one of the weakest infrastructure scores among the bottom ten at 27, although it achieved a relatively strong education score of 75.

Port Moresby ranks 167th with an overall score of 44 out of 100. Persistent security concerns continue to weigh heavily on the city, which recorded a stability score of just 30.

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Nigeria's commercial capital ranks 168th globally with an overall score of 44 out of 100, making it the sixth worst city to live in this year. Lagos scored 30 for stability and 38 for healthcare, reflecting the challenges associated with rapid urbanisation, public service delivery and security.

Algiers occupies 169th position with an overall score of 43 out of 100. Infrastructure was the city's weakest area, scoring 30, while healthcare was its strongest category with a score of 54.

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Karachi ranks 170th with an overall score of 43 out of 100. Pakistan's largest city recorded the lowest stability score among the bottom ten at just 20, although it performed relatively well in education with a score of 75.

Dhaka ranks 171st with an overall score of 42 out of 100. The Bangladeshi capital's infrastructure score of 27 highlights the pressure placed on public services by rapid population growth and urban expansion.

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Tripoli remains the world's second least liveable city, ranking 172nd with an overall score of 41 out of 100. The city recorded an improved healthcare score of 50 following gradual stabilisation efforts, but stability remained low at 30.

Damascus remains the world's least liveable city for another year, ranking last among the 173 cities surveyed with an overall score of 32 out of 100. The Syrian capital recorded a stability score of just 20, the lowest in the entire index, while healthcare stood at 33.

The EIU noted that healthcare in Damascus has improved since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, pointing to a gradual recovery in public services despite the lasting effects of the country's civil war.

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The EIU said nearly every city in the bottom ten has been affected by war, poverty or prolonged political instability. As a result, stability recorded the weakest scores across all ten cities, making it the biggest factor behind their low rankings.

Tehran's appearance in the bottom ten reflects the impact of the conflict in Iran, while Kyiv continued to decline because of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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The report also highlighted how political developments can quickly change a city's fortunes. Caracas, Venezuela, narrowly avoided the bottom ten this year following a US-backed change of government in January 2026.

At the opposite end of the rankings, Copenhagen was named the world's most liveable city in 2026 with an overall score of 98 out of 100.

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The Danish capital was followed by Vienna, Austria, in second, Melbourne, Australia, in third, Sydney, Australia, in fourth, Zurich, Switzerland, in fifth, Geneva, Switzerland, in sixth, Osaka, Japan, in seventh, Adelaide, Australia, in eighth, Vancouver, Canada, in ninth, and Tokyo, Japan, rounding out the top ten.

These cities achieved consistently high scores across stability, healthcare and education, providing a sharp contrast to those at the bottom of the index.

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The 2026 Global Liveability Index reinforces the EIU's finding that peace, effective governance and strong public services remain the foundations of a high quality of life. Conversely, cities affected by conflict and prolonged instability continue to face the greatest challenges in providing safe and comfortable living conditions for residents.