US Drops Off World’s 10 Most Powerful Passports List For First Time In Two Decades
For the first time in 20 years, the US has dropped out of the world’s top 10 most powerful passports, signifying a major dethroning for one of the world’s biggest superpowers.
According to the latest Henley Passport Index, which ranks and measures how many nations a traveler can visit without needing a visa, the US passport is now ranked at 12th internationally and shares that position with Malaysia.
Henley & Partners is a London-based firm that specializes in citizenship and residency consulting. The firm has been compiling these rankings for around 20 years, and they do so by utilizing data from the International Air Transport Association.
Last year, the US was ranked in seventh place before moving down to 10th in July this year. When we look back a decade, the US was at the very top of the ranking.
“The declining strength of the US passport over the past decade is more than just a reshuffle in rankings – it signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics,” Christian H Kaelin, chair of Henley & Partners and creator of the index, said in a press release.
“Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind.”
The current ranking is mainly made up of nations in Asia. Singapore is leading with visa-free access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea with 190, and Japan with 189, the Guardian reports.
The drop in the US’s position on the list is being attributed to America’s immigration and travel policies under President Donald Trump. The policies initially targeted unauthorized migration, but have also extended to crackdowns on tourism, foreign workers, and international students.
Henley & Partners also noted that while US passport holders can access 180 destinations without a visa, the US itself only allows 46 other nationalities to enter the borders without a visa.
Access changes in other nations have also caused them to drop on the list. For example, in April, Brazil ended their visa-free entry for Americans, Canadians, and Australians due to a “lack of reciprocity.”
While some countries have expanded their visa waivers, they have not done so for Americans. Both China and Vietnam have excluded the US from their newly expanded list of countries eligible for visa-free tourism.
Henley & Partners stated that nations who offer their citizens broad travel freedoms but limit visa-free entry for others, like the US, have seen their passport strengths either remain stagnant or decrease.
“The dramatic fall in ranking is already fueling a desire for dual citizenship among Americans,” the firm stated.
“In coming years, more Americans will be acquiring additional citizenships in whatever way they can,” Peter J Spiro, professor of law at Temple University Law School, said in a statement.
“Multiple citizenship is being normalized in American society, dual citizenship is the new American dream.”
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
