Dhaka ranked 171st among 173 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2026 Liveability Index, placing Bangladesh’s capital as the world’s third least liveable city. Copenhagen, Denmark, retained first place for a second consecutive year, according to the list published on August 8. Copenhagen scored 98 overall, while Dhaka scored 42, leaving a 56-point gap between the two cities.

Other cities in the top 10 were Vienna, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Zurich, Geneva, Osaka, Vancouver and Tokyo. The index evaluates cities across five areas: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. Dhaka’s weakest result was infrastructure, with a score of 27. It received 45 for stability, 42 for healthcare, 41 for culture and environment, and 67 for education.

The report said Asia’s average liveability score rose to 74, but Dhaka remained 32 points below that level. Dhaka University professor Mohammad Shafi Ullah called for controlling air pollution, reducing waste and polythene use, changing public habits, and enforcing laws. He identified vehicles and waste as major sources of air pollution and said effective frameworks and enforcement could help improve civic behaviour and liveability.