According to an annual report from the Economist, Tehran is among the bottom ten cities in the ranking of 173 cities in terms of the Global Liveability Index. 

In the report published by the Economist intelligence unit -- the research and analysis division of The Economist -- on Thursday, Tehran is at the 163rd place of the list that quantifies the challenges to an individual's lifestyle in cities worldwide.

The study reviewed and assessed 173 cities across five broad categories of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.

In terms of stability and infrastructure, Tehran is worse than Douala in Cameroon, although in overall average Iran is one place higher. Considering culture and environment, Tehran is even worse than Libya’s Tripoli, Nigeria’s Lagos, and Syria’s Damascus, which are at the rock-bottom of the rankings. 

The only category that saved Iran from languishing at the very bottom is healthcare that has 20 percent weight in the total score, but a closer look at the category reveals that the quality and availability of private healthcare is the decisive factor in the index. Tehran does have private health care but it is not affordable for ordinary Iranians, who are struggling to make ends meet due to above-50-percent inflation.

The Austrian capital, Vienna, has made a comeback as the world’s most liveable city as a rollback of covid-19 restrictions has translated into rankings resembling those seen before the pandemic. It is followed by Copenhagen in Denmark and Switzerland’s Zurich.