Joburg walks last — City named world’s least walkable

Johannesburg – Johannesburg has been ranked the world’s least walkable city in a global study of 90 urban areas, mainly due to high crime rates, heavy car dependency, and poor urban infrastructure.

According to the latest Compare the Market AU report, the city scored just 18.38 out of 100 for walkability, reflecting low safety, limited public transport, and a lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.

“Johannesburg is the least walkable city in 2025, ranking 90th worldwide with an overall score of 18.38 out of 100. Its safety score is the lowest in the dataset at 19.17, and only 8% of residents live within 1km of a car-free space such as a park or plaza,” the report said.

The study of 90 major cities identifies the ten least walkable urban areas worldwide, shown in the table below

“Just 13% of locals live within 1km of healthcare or education, and despite attractions like rooftop bars in the CBD and the iconic Soweto cooling towers, Johannesburg remains highly car-dependent.”

The study highlighted a global divide between car-centric cities, largely in the US, and highly walkable European cities like Prague and Vienna, which boast safety, public transport access, and cycling infrastructure.

Johannesburg’s decline is tied to decades of mismanagement, aging infrastructure, and insufficient maintenance budgets.

The city faces crumbling roads, prolonged water and power outages, and an urgent need for extensive repairs, with estimates suggesting R221 billion is required to address maintenance backlogs and upgrade infrastructure.

Recent financial mismanagement has compounded these challenges, with billions lost to irregular and wasteful spending.