Dhaka has been ranked as the world's third least liveable city, according to the 2026 Global Liveability Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The index, released on Monday night, placed Dhaka 171st among 173 cities assessed worldwide, ahead of only war-ravaged Damascus in Syria and Tripoli in Libya.
The Bangladeshi capital scored 42 out of 100 in the overall liveability assessment, unchanged from last year's ranking.
Damascus, which ranked last, received a score of 32, while Tripoli, in 172nd place, scored 41.
The research and analysis division of the UK-based Economist Group, EIU, evaluates cities across five key categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
According to the report, the Global Liveability Index measures the quality of living conditions in cities around the world, highlighting both the best and worst places to live.
The rankings provide an indication of the advantages and challenges residents are likely to face in each city, while also allowing direct comparisons between locations.
The index is based on a scale of 1 to 100. Cities scoring above 80 are considered to offer acceptable living conditions, while those scoring below 40 are classified as intolerable.
With 42 points, Dhaka ranked only slightly above the level considered intolerable for living.