The United States has recently fallen out of the top ten in the Henley Passport Index. Each year, this change signals a remarkable shift in the global travel mobility rankings. The U.S. passport finishes in historical 12th place for the first time ever. It has recently fallen into a tie with Malaysia, and this decrease prompts some key questions regarding what this change in status entails. The Henley Passport Index is a ranking of all the world’s passports according to the travel freedom each confers to its holder. Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association to produce this quarterly assessment.
The momentous news in the 2023 Henley Passport Index is that Singapore has the most powerful passport on earth. It gives its citizens visa-free access to an equally stunning 193 destinations around the world! South Korea and Japan place second and third, respectively, with access to 190 and 189 destinations. The fall of the U.S. passport has created an animated debate on this issue by experts. They are analyzing its relationship to larger geopolitical trends and shifting immigration policies.
The Henley Passport Index Explained
The Henley Passport Index, published by Henley & Partners, is the most famous and well-regarded global ranking of passports. More importantly, it offers an unabashedly progressive analysis of the travel freedom enjoyed by the world’s passport holders. The index continues to update in real-time throughout the year. It reflects dynamic visa agreements and travel restrictions as governments begin to open their borders and change administration rules.
Henley & Partners gathers this data by going through the careful monitoring of various individual governments’ portals. This enables a comprehensive and detailed analysis of each passport’s strength, based on their current level of access to international travel. The index is an important resource for both travelers and policymakers, providing a unique perspective on global mobility trends.
The index is the latest in a series of similar indices produced by financial firms to measure the accessibility different passports afford. This year, though, it paints a picture of dramatic change as countries focus on their evolving immigration landscapes and international relations.
A Historic Drop for the United States
The United States has fallen out of the top ten on those rankings. This rebranding reflects deeper, more meaningful changes in international migration and global soft power. Richard Quest, a prominent journalist, noted, “Can we make a linkage, if you will, to immigration policies of the Trump administration?” He continued that the increasing weakness of the U.S. passport may very well be a result of these exact policies. This connection warrants further exploration.
Christian H. Kaelin emphasized the gravity of this shift, stating, “The declining strength of the US passport over the past decade is more than just a reshuffle in rankings — it signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics.” With American citizens enduring more travel restrictions than ever before, onlookers can only speculate what these developments will mean for the future of American leadership abroad.
Other countries have succeeded in increasing their global passport ranking significantly. Sustainable, smart The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last 10 years. It has jumped an astounding 34 spots and currently sits at No. 8. This ascent reflects ongoing efforts by the UAE to enhance its global standing and improve travel access for its citizens.
Global Trends in Passport Strength
Unfortunately, while some nations like China and India made real leaps to close the gap, others lagged further behind. The United Kingdom is now at an all-time low on the index. Since July, it has dropped out of the top five, now ranking two places lower at 8th. This marked decline opens up the discussion as to how Brexit and British people’s travel freedoms are being curtailed through tougher immigration rules closer to home.
Afghanistan comes in dead last on the index. To make matters worse, its citizens can only visit 24 destinations visa-free, a stark reminder of the geopolitical struggles still plaguing its people today. Nowhere is that growing influence more evident than in China’s astonishing leap from 94th in 2015 to 64th in 2025. This trend underscores China’s growing assertiveness on the world stage.
The stark results of this year’s index illustrate the impact that geopolitical factors and domestic policy can have on dramatically shaping passport power.
