Play store
Dhaka has dropped out of the world’s top 500 cities in the 2026 Global Cities Index published by Oxford Economics, ranking 515th among 1,000 cities across 163 countries
The capital ranked 482nd last year, slipping 33 places in a year.
The index evaluates cities based on five indicators: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance.
Among Bangladesh’s eight cities included in the ranking, Dhaka remains the highest placed. Chattogram ranked 763rd, Rajshahi 779th, Khulna 811th, Sylhet 834th, Cumilla 883rd, Mymensingh 895th and Bogura 926th.
Dhaka performed relatively well in the economic and human capital categories, ranking 286th and 178th respectively.
However, weaknesses in areas including the environment, quality of life and governance pulled down its overall position.
The report attributes the challenges facing Bangladeshi cities to population pressure, overcrowding, pollution, inadequate civic services, unplanned housing and the growing urban heat-island effect.
The continued decline highlights the need for better urban planning, sustainable environmental management, stronger governance and improved civic services to enhance the quality of life in Bangladesh’s major cities.
