Global Livability Index: Zimbabwe Named Among World’s 10 Most Challenging Countries To Live In

A new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has identified Zimbabwe as one of the planet’s most difficult places to reside, spotlighting the daily struggles faced by millions in this country.

What Makes a City “Unlivable”?

The EIU’s Global Livability Index employs a rigorous 30-factor evaluation system across five critical dimensions:

Safety & Stability: Measuring crime rates, political unrest, and conflict risks
Healthcare Access: Evaluating both public and private medical service quality
Cultural & Environmental Factors: Assessing climate conditions, recreational opportunities, and personal freedoms
Education Standards: Examining availability of quality schooling options
Infrastructure Quality: Rating transportation networks, housing, and digital connectivity

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Zimbabwe Named Among World’s 10 Most Challenging Countries To Live In

Major African cities are buckling under multiple pressures:

Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, continues its downward spiral with hyperinflation making basic goods unaffordable for most citizens, while water shortages and power outages have become daily occurrences.

Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos, and oil centre, Port Harcourt, appear in the bottom rankings due to explosive population growth outpacing infrastructure development, collapsing healthcare systems, and worsening security conditions.

Regional Challenges Amplified

The report highlights how North African nations aren’t spared either. Libya’s Tripoli remains trapped in post-conflict instability, characterised by non-functional public services, while Algeria’s capital, Algiers, struggles with economic stagnation and tightening civil society restrictions.

These findings correlate with recent World Bank data, which show that Sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population growth rate is 3.4% annually—the fastest globally—while infrastructure investment lags at just 2% of GDP.

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The Path Forward

Urban development experts suggest that reversing these trends requires substantial infrastructure investment in water, power, and transportation systems, as well as overhauls of the healthcare system with an emphasis on primary care access. Public-private partnerships are also recommended to boost education quality, and economic reforms are necessary to stabilise currencies and attract investment.

As African cities continue to expand rapidly, the gap between population needs and service delivery appears to be widening rather than closing—a crisis that demands immediate international attention.