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THE UNITED States passport is no longer among the world’s 10 most powerful passports in the latest Henley Passport Index, the first time in 20 years. A ranking compiled by London-based investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners revealed that the US passport is now ranked as the 12th most powerful country, level with Malaysia.
Henley & Partners’ ranking is based on International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, which shows the number of countries each country’s passport can access, both visa-free and with a visa on arrival. The decline in the ranking of United States passports has occurred in recent months.
Accoeding to Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, said in a press release that the decline in U.S. passport power over the past decade is more than just a ranking overhaul. This signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics.
“Countries that embrace openness and cooperation are advancing, while countries that rely on past privileges are lagging behind,” he said, as reported by Newsweek, Wednesday, October 15 2025.
Reported by Forbes, Annie Pforzheimer, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said in a press release that the isolationist mindset is reflected in America’s loss of authority over passports.
In June, Trump announced a near-total ban on entry to the US for foreigners from 12 countries, with access partially restricted for another seven countries.
United States passport holders can visit 180 countries, either visa-free or with a visa on arrival, according to the Henley Passport Index. According to the Henley Passport Index, which is updated monthly, the relative strength of U.S. passports has been declining for more than a decade, having reached its strongest combined high in 2014.
The Most Powerful Passport in the World
Singapore is ranked 1st in this index. Singapore passport holders can visit 193 countries without a visa or with a visa on arrival. South Korea ranked second in the latest ranking, giving its passport holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 190 countries. Japan followed in third place with 189.
Meanwhile, Indonesia is ranked 70th with 73 visa-free or visa-free countries that can be visited. The following is a list of 10 countries with the strongest passports in the world: (1)/ Singapore (193), (2). South Korea (190), (3). Japan (189), (4). Germany, (5). Italy, (6). Luxembourg, (7). Spain, (8). Switzerland (188), (9). Austria, (10). Belgium, (11). Denmark, (12). Finland, (13). France, (14). Ireland, (15). Netherlands (187), (16). Greece, (17). Hungary, (18). New Zealand, (19). Norway, (20). Portugal, (21). Sweden (186), (22). Australia, (23). Czech, (24). Malta, (25). Poland (185), (26). Croatia, (27). Estonia, (28). Slovakia, (29). Slovenia, (30). UAE, (31). United Kingdom (184), (32). Canada (183), (32). Latvia, (33) Liechtenstein (182). [sources/photo special]
