Delhi and Mumbai, two major cities in India, have been recognized as the “most liveable” cities in the country, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2023. However, the index indicates that both cities still have a considerable gap to bridge before reaching international standards.
The EIU, a global media and information services company known for publishing The Economist newspaper, released the index which evaluates cities based on five key indicators: stability, culture and environment, healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Delhi and Mumbai received a score of 60.2 out of 100, sharing the 141st rank among the surveyed cities.
Vienna emerged as the most liveable city globally, securing a score of 98.4. Apart from Delhi and Mumbai, three other Indian cities—Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru—were included in the index’s list of 173 cities. Chennai attained the 144th rank with a score of 59.9, Ahmedabad secured the 147th position with a score of 58.9, and Bengaluru followed closely at the 148th spot with a score of 58.7.
While Mumbai’s rank remained the same as the previous year, its score witnessed a slight improvement compared to 2022. Similarly, Delhi showed improvement in its score but dropped one place in the rankings, from 140th to 141st.
Notably, Bengaluru demonstrated the most significant improvement among Indian cities, with its livability score increasing by 4.3 points—the highest improvement among Indian cities. However, due to advancements in other cities, Bengaluru’s ranking experienced a slight decline from 146th to 148th. Chennai also demonstrated commendable progress, with a score improvement of 4.1 points from the previous year.
Nevertheless, it is essential to acknowledge that no Indian city surpassed the average improvement in livability scores for the Asia Pacific region, which stood at 4.4 points (increasing from 69.1 to 73.5). This indicates the need for continued efforts to enhance the liveability standards across Indian cities.
The index also highlighted the least liveable cities globally, including Douala (Cameroon), Kyiv (Ukraine), Harare (Zimbabwe), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Karachi (Pakistan), Lagos (Nigeria), Algiers (Algeria), Tripoli (Libya), and Damascus (Syria).
While Delhi and Mumbai are recognized as the most liveable cities in India, the rankings underscore the importance of ongoing endeavors to improve infrastructure, healthcare, education, and overall quality of life. By addressing these areas, Indian cities can strive towards meeting higher global liveability standards.
