The latest rankings of global passports has been released by Henley Passport Index, which classifies countries and their passport in terms of number of nations that allow visa-free access to the holders of these passports.

In the rankings for second half of 2024, Singapore stole a march over six other nations that had shared the top slot at the beginning of the year, reclaiming its title as the world’s most powerful passport. Singaporean citizens now enjoy visa-free access to a record 195 travel destinations out of 227 around the world.

In a press statement, Henley Passport Index says that France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain drop to joint-2nd place, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations, and an unprecedented group of seven nations, each with access to 191 destinations without a prior visa, namely Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden, which are ranked 3rd on the ranking, which is based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

With historical data spanning 19 years, the Henley Passport Index is the only one of its kind based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA). The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. Updated monthly, the Henley Passport Index is considered the standard reference tool for global citizens and sovereign states when assessing where a passport ranks on the global mobility spectrum.

India, which was ranked at 84th position in the last index, has seen its ranking rise by two places to 82 now. However, the number of countries with visa-free access for Indian passport holders has declined from 60 to 58 in the latest rankings.

The UK hangs onto 4th place along with Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland, despite its visa-free destination score falling to 190. The US, on the other hand, continues its now decade-long slide down the index, dropping down to 8th spot, with access to just 186 destinations visa-free. 

Afghanistan remains firmly entrenched as the world’s weakest passport, losing access to yet another destination over the past six months, leaving its citizens with access to only 26 countries visa-free, the lowest score ever recorded in history of the 19-year-old index.

Christian H Kaelin

“The general trend over the past two decades has been towards greater travel freedom, with the global average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been, with top-ranked Singapore able to access a record-breaking 169 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan,” says Christian H Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept.

According to IATA, airlines will connect nearly 5 billion people over 22,000 routes on 39 million flights in 2024, and the air cargo transported will reach 62 million tonnes, facilitating an astonishing USD 8.3 trillion in trade. Its Director General Willie Walsh says despite the immense value generated by the aviation industry, the margins are incredibly tight. 

Willie Walsh

“Our industry expects to record revenues of almost USD 1 trillion this year. Expenses, however, will also be at a record high of USD 936 billion. Net profit will be USD 30.5 billion. This translates to a modest net margin of around 3 pc, making the profit per passenger just USD 6.14, barely enough for a single espresso in a typical hotel café. Additionally, this year, the return on invested capital is projected at 5.7 pc, significantly below the average 9 pc cost of capital. Despite this, the real cost of air travel has fallen 34 pc over the last decade,” says Walsh.

Juerg Steffen

The United Arab Emirates makes it into the Top 10 for the first time, having added 152 destinations since the index’s inception in 2006 to achieve its current visa-free score of 185, and rising 53 places in the ranking from 62nd to 9th position in the process. 

“The country’s meteoric ascent is the result of deliberate and concerted efforts by the Emirati government to position the UAE as a global hub for business, tourism, and investment. Our research has consistently shown a strong correlation between a country’s visa-free score and its economic prosperity. Nations with higher visa-free scores tend to enjoy greater GDP per capita, increased foreign direct investment, and more robust international trade relationships,” says Juerg Steffen, CEO, Henley & Partners.