The Henley Passport Index is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer and the latest rankings showcase tremendous improvement in passport power over the last two decades despite a low point for global peace.
The world is currently in the midst of its highest number of state-based conflicts since World War II and global peacefulness has declined for a 12th consecutive year, according to the Institute for Economics & Peace.
Despite 119 of the 163 countries measured on the Global Peace Index being less peaceful than they were in 2008, the average passport provides visa-free access to 108 destinations worldwide, which is up from just 58 when the index was first launched in 2006.
Nonetheless, travel documents aren't created equal when it comes to mobility. 2026's rankings reveal some notable winners and losers.
Biggest Winners for 2026 Passport Power
The United Arab Emirates recorded the greatest improvement of any passport in the index’s history, adding 153 visa-free destinations over 20 years. It's now tied with Japan and South Korea for the second-most powerful, providing access to 188 destinations.
Dubai International Airport (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock)
Asia is another big winner. Topping the aforementioned second-ranked Japan and South Korea, Singapore ranks first overall thanks to a travel document that opens access to a whopping 192 destinations worldwide. Singapore ranked eighth when the index was first launched in 2006.
Europe's dominance continues in 2026. Sweden is the continent's highest-ranked passport at third. Still, a plethora of countries crack the top 10, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Austria, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland and the United Kingdom, among others.
The UK jumped one place to sixth since the start of the year after securing visa-free access to China and Malawi, Henley & Partners points out.
France is perhaps the biggest winner of this group, however, as it shares fourth place on the Henley Passport Index despite sitting at 99th place on the Global Peace Index, which considers factors like militarization, external conflict and domestic security.
Ukraine is a similar case. The country ranks 160th on the Global Peace Index amid its ongoing conflict with Russia, but sits at 31st place on the Henley Passport Index in large part due to the country's long-term mobility agreements and relationship with the European Union.
Biggest Losers for Global Mobility
Traveler holding a United States passport at the airport. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/kieferpix)
The United States is without a doubt one of the biggest losers on the 2026 Henley Passport Index, now sitting tied with Iceland for 10th place two decades after leading the world.
This comes on the heels of Global Citizens Solutions (GCS) reporting a steep decline for the U.S. passport.
In South America, Bolivia is the only passport in the world to have recorded a net loss in visa-free access over the past 20 years, reducing its score by six destinations over that time.
Little to nothing has changed for Afghanistan in the two decades since the Henley Passport Index's inception. The Middle Eastern country remains at the bottom with access to only 22 destinations. That figure paired with Singapore’s score of 192 creates a record-breaking 170-destination global mobility gap.
"Twenty years of data show that passport power is one of the clearest expressions of a country’s geopolitical capital. It reflects far more than peace or prosperity alone," Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman at Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index, said in a statement.
"The world’s strongest passports belong to nations that other countries want as partners—for trade, investment, security, or cooperation. Mobility is ultimately a measure of the value other countries place on their relationship with you," said Kaelin.
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