Singapore tops 2025 Passport index; India Ranks THIS alongside Algeria

In the latest Henley Passport Index 2025, Singapore has secured the top position as the world's most powerful passport, granting its holders visa-free access to 193 destinations out of 227. The ranking, compiled by Henley & Partners using International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, places India at the 80th spot, a position it shares with Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Tajikistan. Japan and South Korea follow Singapore in second place with visa-free access to 190 countries, while Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain secure the third spot with access to 189 destinations.

Afghanistan ranks lowest, UAE continues rapid climb

At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan holds the 99th position, with access to only 25 countries, followed by Syria (98th, 27 countries) and Iraq (97th, 30 countries). The UAE continues its rapid ascent, climbing 32 places in the last decade to rank 10th with visa-free access to 185 destinations. Meanwhile, China has also witnessed significant progress, moving from 94th place in 2015 to 60th in 2025, after securing visa-free access to 29 additional countries in the past year alone.

Decline of US passport strength amid political shifts

Surprisingly, the United States has seen a decline in its passport ranking. According to Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, American political shifts under Donald Trump's administration have contributed to this downturn. "Even before the advent of a second Trump presidency, American political trends had become notably inward-looking and isolationist," Pforzheimer said. She warned that policies favoring tariffs and deportations could further weaken US passport strength, both relatively and absolutely. Schengen Visa Rejection Rates Highlight African Struggles. The research also sheds light on Schengen visa rejection rates, revealing that six of the ten highest-rejecting countries are in Africa.

• Comoros faces the highest rejection rate at 61.3%
• Guinea-Bissau follows at 51%
• Ghana ranks third with a 47.5% rejection rate

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, emphasized the need for a global rethink on citizenship and mobility, particularly as climate change and political instability continue to displace populations. "The very notion of citizenship and its birthright lottery needs a fundamental rethink as temperatures rise, natural disasters become more frequent and severe, displacing communities and rendering their environments uninhabitable," Kaelin stated.