If you wish to live in a city of crime, poverty, and pollution, we have some dream come true cities for you then! While the world is a beautiful place to live, we have a list of the worst cities to live in the world. The most dangerous cities in the world are Baghdad, Lagos, Damascus, Freetown, and Karachi. The Economist also calculates that if you lived in Lagos alone, you would have a 42% risk of being a victim of violence.
Let alone violence, some cities break their own record when it comes to poverty, unemployment, pollution, and population. So before you plan to move to a new city, make sure you check where NOT to go!
11 worst cities on the Earth you will hate to live in
The world is full of beautiful places to live and explore, but sadly several cities are downright terrible. Not all cities on the list below are in poor regions or countries, so this isn’t a list of “worst cities to live in the world.” The only criteria for inclusion are that sources and studies have ranked these cities as hostile especially for being dangerous, expensive, and unfriendly to locals and visitors alike.
A place’s general health can be assessed based on the city’s air quality, crime rate, and access to public services. Pollutants, poverty rates, and unemployment levels are the top three factors for the worst cities to live in. The city and its residents are deeply affected by crime rates, high levels of crime against women due to prostitution by minors, and home invasions.
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Cities that made it into this list also have high rates of pollution. The worst factor is population growth rate or density- which is why Dhaka, Mexico, and Shanghai are ranked as some of the most populated locations for people living there. Compare the list of most expensive cities in the world, with the worst cities below.
11. Port Harcourt, Nigeria
To begin our list of worst cities to live in the world, we steer towards Nigeria. While Nigeria is slowly advancing, the city of Port Harcourt has been left behind. It is considered one of the most polluted cities in Africa, with many slum areas. The infrastructure is terrible, and it is hazardous to live in as they are made with scrap metal. The water is unsafe to drink, and there are frequent blackouts. A majority of the citizens are unemployed or doing menial tasks for a meager amount of money. This city needs a lot of help to become livable for its inhabitants.
10. Jakarta, Indonesia
Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia and its largest city. The ‘one of the worst cities to live in the world is also one of the most crowded places on earth, with 10 million people packed into less than 6 square miles (15 square kilometers).
The dense population means lots of traffic jams, pollution, and noise pollution. One of the worst things about Jakarta is the air quality because there’s virtually no fresh air left to breathe, thanks to all of the traffic and factories in nearby cities like Bandung.
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9. Mexico City, Mexico
In addition to being the capital and largest city in Mexico, this city is also another of the worst cities to live in the world. It’s also a primary terrorist target and is often attacked by the cartels that control much of the country. Thanks to all cars and industry, the city’s pollution is a significant issue, even though there are plenty of trees and parks to help provide some oxygen for residents who are forced to breathe in dirty air day after day.
8. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro is the capital and largest city in Brazil. The area at the city’s base is the most beautiful part of the city, with great beaches, mountains, and lake views. However, this also means that pollution from nearby industries and cars is likely to be a problem for residents.
In addition to pollution, Rio has become one of the most dangerous places in Brazil, thanks to significant gang violence. The only thing worse than gangs is the violence from the police and government, so it’s no surprise that residents of Rio have been fleeing to other Brazilian cities for a decade.
7. Kathmandu, Nepal
This is an ancient city that makes up the list of worst cities to live in the world. Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal and is located at the base of Mount Everest. The town sits on all sides of Mt. Everest, which means that it’s also an earthquake zone and is prone to landslides and other natural disasters. It’s also one of the most crowded places on earth, with more than 3 million people crammed into less than 2 square miles (6 square kilometers).
The pollution is among the worst in the world, with almost no trees within the city to help absorb much of the air pollution that comes from burning trash and other sources. This includes a large amount of burning plastic which can be seen in any direction with a stinging, eye-burning smell. It is definitely one of the worst cities to live in the world.
6. Manila, Philippines
Manila is the capital of the Philippines and is home to more than 1.7 million people but is considered one of the most crowded cities on earth, with more than 22,000 people per square mile (10,000 people per square kilometer).
Manila, one of the worst cities to live in the world, is a large city that suffers from pollution and overpopulation since it’s surrounded by some of the poorest regions in Asia. The city is one of the largest sources of corruption in the area and has terrible traffic jams.
5. Shanghai, China
Shanghai is the capital and largest city of China. It’s also one of the most crowded places on earth, with more than 12 million people crammed into less than 5 square miles (12 square kilometers). The city sits at the base of a mountain, which means that it’s constantly being swamped by fog, dust, and pollution from industry and other sources in surrounding areas.
In addition to pollution, Shanghai is also a costly place to live. Many workers earn just enough money to cover housing and food but often don’t have enough left over for anything else. No wonder why it is regarded as one of the worst cities to live in the world.
4. Moscow, Russia
Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia, and now a part of the ‘worst cities to live in the world’ list. It’s also one of the most crowded places on earth, with more than 18 million people crammed into less than 3 square miles (7 square kilometers).
The city and surrounding areas are also home to enormous air pollution from industries and cars on the busy roads. The city experiences more than 40 days in a single year with air quality unhealthy for outdoor activities.
3. Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos is considered one of the largest megacities on earth, with more than 20 million people packed into less than 2 square miles (5 square kilometers). Many people who live in Lagos are practically living in squalor without access to clean drinking water or bathrooms.
The worst part of Lagos is the massive amount of pollution. The city’s waterways are being destroyed by toxic waste from factories and other sources in the surrounding areas, but little action is being taken to clean up the mess. High criminal and violence rate are other factors that qualify Lagos as one of the worst cities to live in the world.
2. Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dhaka is one of the largest cities in the world, with more than 20 million people crammed into less than 4 square miles (10 square kilometers). It’s also one of the most crowded places on earth, with more than 24,000 people per square mile (10,000 people per square kilometer). Population and pollution, both, make Dhaka one of the worst cities to live in the world.
The city is one of the most polluted cities globally thanks to all of the industries and cars on the busy streets. According to research done by a local university, pollution is so severe that people who live there only have about three years left before they die from air pollution.
The pollution is so harmful that it often creates a haze that blocks the sun and limits visibility to about 2 miles (3 kilometers).
1. New Orleans, America
This is one of the worst cities to live in the world and the only city in America hit by three catastrophes: disastrous hurricanes, flooding, and the BP oil spill. According to a study conducted by 24/7 Wall St, New Orleans ranks as the worst city in the United States that three catastrophes have hit.
New Orleans is also well-known as a place where the most crimes happen each year in America. The State of Louisiana’s Department of Public Safety and Corrections said that the number of crimes already reached its highest point in history last year, with 88,000 criminal cases filed. Now, that is a major reason for this American city to be a part of the “worst cities to live in the world” list.
New Orleans is also plagued with poverty. The city has surprisingly ranked as one of the poorest cities in America. This is owed to the fact that many inhabitants struggle to make ends meet with their incomes.
Final Thoughts
This article gives us more insight into the worst cities to live in the world and can help us make a more informed decision when we consider relocating in the future. There is a lack of a strong sense of safety, cleanliness, and opportunity to enjoy an active lifestyle in either city. These factors combined with high crime rates and a receding economy show that these are some of the worst cities to live in the world.
It seems that all the cities that made the top 11 worst cities list are throughout the world. But yes, majorly the US cities like New Orleans and Detroit are most dangerous to live in. Stay tuned for another list of the worst cities in the US.