India, July 26 -- The 20th anniversary Henley Passport Index paints a fascinating picture of global mobility versus global peace:
Passport Power Expands
- Average passport now grants visa-free access to 108 destinations, up from 58 in 2006.
- Singapore remains #1 with access to 192 destinations.
- UAE is the biggest climber, now tied for 2nd with Japan and South Korea (188 destinations).
- UK rises to 6th after securing visa-free access to China and Malawi.
- US stays at 10th, still requiring a visa for China.
Peace Declines
- The Global Peace Index (also marking 20 years) shows the highest number of conflicts since WWII.
- Global peacefulness has declined for 12 consecutive years.
- 119 countries are less peaceful than in 2008.
- 103 countries have been involved in external conflict in the past five years.
Winners & Losers
- UAE: greatest improvement (+153 destinations).
- Bolivia: only passport to lose ground (-6 destinations).
- Afghanistan: remains last, with the weakest passport.
- Mobility gap: widened to a record 170 destinations between the strongest and weakest passports.
Peace vs. Passport Power
- Strong correlation between peacefulness and passport strength (( ho = 0.65)).
- Outliers:
- Israel (159th on peace, 18th on passport)
- US (134th on peace, 10th on passport)
- France, Ukraine, UAE, South Korea, Brazil, Russia also outperform their peace rankings.
- Shows that passport power reflects geopolitical capital - trade, investment, and security partnerships - not just peace or prosperity.
Big Picture
- Europe still dominates the top ranks, but......
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Travel Media.