Henley Passport Index marks 20 years with wider travel freedom, but also a growing gap between the world’s most and least mobile citizens.
Freedom of Movement in an Unsettled World
Global travel freedom has reached its highest level on record, with the average passport now offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 108 destinations, nearly double the 58 destinations recorded when the Henley Passport Index was launched in 2006.
According to the latest rankings, Singapore remains the world’s most powerful passport, granting access to 192 destinations without requiring a prior visa.
The United Arab Emirates was the biggest climber in this year’s index, rising to second place alongside Japan and South Korea, with access to 188 destinations. The United Kingdom moved up to sixth place, while Canada climbed to seventh. The United States remained in tenth place.
The Evolution of the Mobility Elite
The report highlights a dramatic shift in global mobility over the past two decades. While travel freedom has expanded almost everywhere, the gap between the strongest and weakest passports has widened considerably. In 2006, the difference between the top- and bottom-ranked passports was 118 destinations. Today, that gap has grown to 170 destinations, with Afghanistan remaining at the bottom of the ranking, offering access to just 22 destinations.
One of the report’s most notable findings is the rise of the United Arab Emirates, whose passport has gained 153 additional visa-free destinations since 2006, the largest improvement recorded in the index’s history.
Geopolitical Outliers
The study also reflects a broader geopolitical shift. Twenty years ago, the United States held the world’s most powerful passport. Today, Asian countries dominate the top of the rankings, while Europe continues to maintain a strong presence among the global mobility leaders.
The Henley report arrives against a far less optimistic backdrop. Data from the Global Peace Index shows that global peacefulness has declined for the twelfth consecutive year, with more armed conflicts taking place today than at any point since the Second World War.
Despite that increasingly unstable environment, the report finds that international mobility continues to expand, although access to visa-free travel remains heavily influenced by diplomacy, economic strength, and international partnerships rather than peacefulness alone.
