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Fed up with hours of power cuts, the residents of Pakistan's economic hub Karachi took to the streets in recent days and blocked several major roads. The outburst of anger highlights the daily problems faced by a megacity of over 21 million people, which has once again been ranked among the world's least liveable cities. In its 2026 Global Liveability Index, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Karachi 170th out of 173 cities, ahead of only Dhaka, Tripoli and Damascus.
It's a striking contrast for Pakistan's economic powerhouse, home to a large share of the country's businesses, jobs and wealth. Yet residents face crippling traffic congestion, inadequate public transport, crime and chronic shortages of basic services. Karachi receives only around 55 percent of the water it needs.
In some neighbourhoods, power cuts can last up to 19 hours a day. The city also generates nearly 15,000 tonnes of waste every day, almost a quarter of which never makes it to landfill sites. Despite several major urban development projects in recent years, the city's infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with its rapid growth.
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