Australia’s passport remains among the world’s most powerful, according to new rankings, while the United States has slipped out of the top ten for the first time in 20 years.
The Henley Passport Index is a quarterly review that ranks the world’s passports on the number of countries their holders can visit without a visa.
The latest update shows Australia’s passport has held steady in the top 10, remaining tied at seventh place alongside Czechia, Malta and Poland.
For the first time in its two-decade history, the United States has dropped out of the top 10 in a global passport ranking index.
The index, monitored by British consultancy firm Henley & Partners, has tracked some big shifts in passport power over the course of just a few months.
Since its last report in July, the United Kingdom has dropped from sixth to eighth place, while the US has fallen out of the top 10 completely.
It’s a marked fall for the US, which was once ranked at number one back in 2014, and has now dropped to 12th place alongside Malaysia.
Both countries’ passports permit entry to 180 countries without a visa.
This index measures the number of countries that passport holders can visit without requiring a visa, offering insight into the global mobility afforded to citizens of various nations.
The Henley Passport Index, created by Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, recently revealed that Singapore holds the top spot, while Australia ranks seventh.
Kaelin commented on this shift, noting that although the changes might seem minor, they could have significant implications.
While the US can access the majority of countries around the world without a visa, it only permits visa-free travel for those from 46 other nations — the widest gap in visa reciprocity, second only to Australia.
“This marks a fundamental change in global mobility and the dynamics of soft power,” he stated. “Countries that prioritize openness and collaboration are advancing, whereas those relying on historical advantages are lagging behind.”
What do the changes tell us?
The passport ranking is unlikely to affect travel for most Australians, but the shifts between countries over time indicate shifts in global soft power dynamics.
Singapore has topped the list for the third consecutive year, with passport holders able to travel visa-free to 193 countries.
Among them are China, Ghana, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Mozambique and Benin – all countries that require Australian passport holders to obtain a visa.
Afghanistan was once again at the bottom of the list, with passport holders granted access to just 24 countries without a visa.
The index is based on figures from the International Air Transport Association, a global database of travel information. Countries’ rankings can shift dramatically, with the loss of visa access to just one country causing a significant drop on the index.
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