Henley Passport Index 2024: Rankings, Trends and Implication

The Henley Passport Index and Top Rankings

• The Henley Passport Index ranks passports based on visa-free access to destinations.
• Data comes from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Henley & Partners' research.
• Singapore reclaimed the top spot with visa-free access to 195 destinations.

Henley Passport Index Top 10 List

India's Position and Visa-Free Access

• India improved from 84th to 82nd place, tied with Senegal and Tajikistan.
• Indian passport holders can access 58 countries visa-free.
• Visa-free destinations include Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
• Other accessible countries include some in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands.
• Despite improvement, India's ranking highlights global mobility inequality between developed and developing nations.

Factors Influencing Passport Rankings

• Number of visa-free destinations accessible to passport holders.
• Countries' diplomatic relations and international agreements.
• GDP per capita: wealthier countries tend to have more visa-free access.
• Domestic fragility, including violence, state legitimacy, and internally displaced populations.
• Surprisingly, democracy doesn't strongly correlate with passport strength.
• Economic prosperity often leads to higher visa-free scores.
• Open borders attract more trade, tourism, and investment.

Notable Changes and Trends

• The UK and US have declined from jointly holding 1st place in 2014.
• The UAE made a "meteoric ascent" from 62nd to 9th place.
• China climbed from 83rd to 59th place (85 destinations).
• Ukraine moved from 53rd to 30th place (148 destinations).
• Venezuela dropped from 25th to 42nd place.
• Afghanistan remains the weakest passport, with access to only 26 countries.
• Pakistan retained its position as the fourth-worst passport at 100th place (33 countries).
• Other low-ranking passports include Iraq (101st), Syria (102nd), and Yemen (100th).
• Bangladesh fell from 86th to 97th place.