Henley Passport Index: Travel Access Doubles as Global Peace Declines
The Henley Passport Index's 20th-anniversary edition reveals a significant expansion in global travel mobility over two decades. This surge in accessibility contrasts sharply with a concurrent, steep decline in worldwide peace.
London – Global travel freedom has expanded dramatically over the past 20 years, according to the 20th-anniversary edition of the Henley Passport Index released by Henley & Partners. The average passport now provides visa-free access to 108 destinations, up from just 58 when the index first launched in 2006. This contrasts sharply with the current global security landscape, where worldwide peace has declined for the twelfth consecutive year, according to the Institute for Economics & Peace’s Global Peace Index.
Despite the challenging geopolitical backdrop, international mobility continues to evolve. The July 2026 Henley Passport Index shows Singapore retaining its position as the world's most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations. The United Arab Emirates has climbed three spots since January, now sharing second place with Japan and South Korea, with access to 188 destinations. The United Kingdom has risen to sixth place after securing visa-free access to China and Malawi. The United States remains in tenth place, one of the few highly ranked passports still requiring a visa for China.
"Twenty years of data demonstrate that passport power is one of the clearest expressions of a nation’s geopolitical capital," said Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index. "It reflects far more than just peace or prosperity alone. The world's most powerful passports belong to nations that other countries wish to partner with, whether for trade, investment, security, or cooperation."
While overall travel freedom has increased, the gap in passport power has widened considerably. In 2006, the US, Denmark, and Finland topped the index with 130 visa-free destinations. Today, Singapore leads with 192. The mobility gap has widened from 118 destinations to a record 170, with Afghanistan remaining at the bottom. The UAE has recorded the most significant improvement, adding 153 visa-free destinations, while Bolivia is the only passport globally to have suffered a net loss in visa-free access over two decades.