Bengaluru scores least in global livability index after topping govt’s ease of living survey

The dream cities of the Indian sub-continent might not be livable after all!

This includes, the national capital Delhi, the city of dreams Mumbai and the silicon valley of India- Bengaluru. 

Notably, the Karnataka's capital city ranked as the least livable city in India!

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, a global media and information services company. 

The EIU on 24 June released its Global Livability Index 2022, which ranks cities across the world on their ‘livability’ quotient or condition of living offered in a city.

What is the livability of a city?

According to Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Livability Index 2022, the livability of a city is determined by 5 factors-- stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

Stability and culture and environment have the highest weightage — 25% each — while healthcare and infrastructure get a weightage of 20% each and education has a weightage of 10%.

This the first time that the index has included Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad; earlier reports only featured Delhi and Mumbai among Indian cities.

Where does Indian cities stand?

All five Indian cities that figure in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Livability Index 2022 ranked measly in the index. The Index analysed living conditions in 173 cities across the world.

New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad were surveyed by the index and they ranked between 140 and 146. The ideal score is 100. Among Indian cities, New Delhi received the top rank of 140, with a livability score of 56.5. This was followed by Mumbai at 141 (score 56.2), Chennai at 142 (score 55.8), Ahmedabad at 143 (score 55.7) and Bengaluru at 146 (score 54.4).

Infrastructure brings down Bengaluru

Karnataka's capital city Bengaluru had been ranked as the most livable city in term of ‘ease of living’ in March, 2021 in a survey conducted by the Urban Development Ministry. However, the IT city saw a sharp downfall, owing to poor infrastructure. 

The city received a score of 46.4 (out of 100) in infrastructure, the lowest among all Indian cities.

The infrastructure score is based on quality of roads, public transportation system, international links, energy provision, telecommunications, water and availability of good quality housing.

Bengaluru attracts a lot of young people every year flocking to the tech hub in search of jobs at large corporate houses, MNCs or start-ups. 

Even Pakistan’s Karachi (51.8), amongst the five least liveable cities in the world in the index, scored better than Bengaluru on infrastructure parameter. Bengaluru’s infrastructure score was equal to Lagos in Nigeria, the third-least livable city in the world.

Congress slams BJP for Bengaluru's score

The Karnataka Congress slammed the Basavaraj Bommai led BJP government in the state after its capital city ranked as the least livable city in India.

“This report is proof that the BJP government has failed to deliver in the last three years,” Karnataka Congress working president Ramalinga Reddy, a former Bengaluru affairs minister, told a news conference. “On infrastructure, Bengaluru has score Bengaluru has scored 46.4 out of 100. This is the same as Lagos in Nigeria. Karachi in Pakistan has a better score of 51.8,” Reddy pointed out. “The government claims to have given ₹6,000 crore to Bengaluru. If the money was spent properly, then then the city wouldn’t have fallen to this level. The CM should, at least now, wake up,” he added.

Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai

Delhi with 62.5 scored the highest, followed by Mumbai at 55.4 and both Chennai and Ahmedabad ay a score of 50 each.

In the culture and environment parameter — based on weather, corruption, social and religious restrictions, sporting availability, culture and ratings on food and drink and consumer goods and services — Ahmedabad scored the least with 44.4. Mumbai was on the top in this category with a score of 50.7, followed by Delhi (48.6), Bengaluru (47.2) and Chennai 46.5.

However, Ahmedabad with a score of 65 came on the top on the stability parameter, which mainly is a reflection of law-and-order situation in the city. Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai scored 60 each, while Delhi with 50 was the last.

In the healthcare parameter, which measures the quality of public and private healthcare infrastructure along with availability of medicines, Chennai, Delhi and Bengaluru scored 58.3 each and Mumbai and Ahmedabad 54.2 each.

In education, calculated on availability of private education and its quality and public education indicators, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru scored 75 each, while both Mumbai and Ahmedabad scored 66.7.

What EIU said

If a city’s livability score is between 50-60, as in the case of Indian cities, then “livability is substantially constrained”, according to the EIU’s suggestions.

The survey suggests employers a provision of an allowance based on the discomfort a city offers to the employees.

“Companies pay a premium (usually a percentage of a salary) to employees who move to cities where living conditions are particularly difficult, such as excessive physical hardship or a notably unhealthy environment. EIU has given a suggested allowance to correspond with the rating. However, the actual level of the allowance is often a matter of company policy. It is not uncommon, for example, for companies to pay higher allowances—perhaps up to double EIU’s suggested level”, the report said.