Five African capitals listed in worst global cities to live in

Five African capitals have been listed among the worst liveable cities according to a global ranking released by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The capitals involved in descending order are:

• Douala (Cameroon) ranked 132 out of 140
• Harare (Zimbabwe) ranked 133 out of 140
• Algiers (Algeria) ranked 134 out of 140
• Lagos (Nigeria) ranked 138 out of 140
• Tripoli (Libya) ranked 139 out of 140

About the report and its format

The report is titled ‘Global Liveability Ranking (GLR),’ provides scores for lifestyle challenges in 140 cities worldwide.

The GLR is part of the EIU’s ‘Worldwide Cost of Living Survey,’ which quantifies the challenges that might be presented to an individual’s lifestyle across five broad categories of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

Melbourne still tops the list of the world's most liveable cities; New York is 55th https://t.co/9fyDSqB3G5 pic.twitter.com/fp1YOdglzD

— The Economist (@ECONdailycharts) August 18, 2016

What accounts for deteriorating cities?

The EIU reports that liveability had slumped in 20% of the 140 cities surveyed (i.e. 29 cities). It cited factors such as increased fears of terrorism with high profile attacks in European cities like Paris, Istanbul, Brussels and Berlin.

Social unrest in American cities were also a factor to deteriorating cities ‘‘due to the deaths of black people in police custody, tensions in Eastern Europe and Asia and the ongoing civil wars in Ukraine, Syria and Libya have compounded the decline,’‘ EIU stated.

The top 10 liveable global cities were

• Melbourne (Australia)
• Vienna (Austria)
• Vancouver (Canada)
• Toronto (Canada)
• Calgary (Canada)
• Adelaide (Australia)
• Perth (Australia)
• Auckland (New Zealand)
• Helsinki (Finland)
• Hamburg (Germany)