Economic and military might do not always translate into a stronger passport. Nor does size!
CREDIT: Sumit Ahlawat- January 22, 2026
With globalization, the world is turning into a global village. However, globalization impacts people differently.
Apparently, the world is more global, more open, and more accessible to certain nationalities than to others. At the top is an elite tier of passports that grant visa-free access to most of the world with no restrictions.
At the bottom are certain unfortunate passports that offer no such perks. Rather, carrying these passports is a burden; it hinders your ability to move freely between countries, even if you have the financial means to do so.
Contrary to popular perception, economic and military might do not always translate into a stronger passport. Nor does size.
The United States boasts the world’s strongest military and the world’s largest economy. However, according to the Henley Passport Index, the US passport ranked 10th in 2026. In fact, as many as 37 countries’ passports rank above the US, including its northern neighbor, Canada, and second-tier powers like Malaysia, the UAE, and Malta.
And the top three spots are all held by small Asian countries. But what makes a passport ‘powerful’?
How Are Passports Ranked?
At the most fundamental level, a passport’s rank is defined by the number of countries that allow the passport holder to enter without a visa.
The more countries that allow visa-free entry, the stronger that passport is. On the other hand, the fewer countries that allow visa-free entry, the weaker that passport is.
The World’s Strongest Passports
In the latest quarterly rankings, the Singapore passport is ranked the world’s most powerful.
The Singapore passport allows you to travel visa-free to 192 destinations worldwide out of a list of 227 countries and territories tracked by the index.
South Korea and Japan share second place, allowing visa-free travel to 188 countries.
So, at the top are three small Asian countries. In fact, Singapore and Japan are islands.
Their rankings at the top clearly establish that conventional military strength does not always translate into a stronger passport.
Five countries hold the third spot, all European: Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Passports from these countries allow visa-free access to 186 countries.
Ten European countries hold the fourth spot: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway. Passports from these European countries allow visa-free access to 185 countries and territories.
In comparison, U.S. passport holders can travel visa-free to 179 countries.
The US passport is even ranked behind countries like Canada, the UK, the UAE, Australia, Malta, and Malaysia, underlining the steep, sudden fall from grace of the US passport, which was ranked the world’s most powerful passport only a decade ago, in 2014.
At the fag end, the Afghan passport is ranked the least powerful, allowing visa-free travel to just 24 places.
Above Afghanistan is Syria, followed by Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen.
The Indian passport ranks 80th, granting visa-free access to 55 destinations.
The Chinese passport ranks 59th, enjoying visa-free access to 81 destinations.
