US Passport Power Falls to Historic Low
Key Takeaways
- The US passport has dropped out of the Top 10 most powerful passports for the first time in the 20-year history of the Henley Passport Index, now ranking 12th.
- Singapore, South Korea, and Japan now occupy the top three positions on the index, reflecting a shift in global mobility power.
- The US passport's decline is attributed to losing visa-free access to several countries, including Brazil and China, due to reciprocity issues and policy changes.
- Experts link the US passport's weakening strength to an inward-turning political policy, contrasting with nations that embrace openness.
- The US has a significant disparity between the visa-free access it grants and the access it allows other nationalities, ranking low on the Henley Openness Index.
The United States passport has fallen out of the Top 10 most powerful passports on the Henley Passport Index for the first time ever, dropping to 12th place with access to 180 destinations, a significant slide from its former No.1 ranking in 2014. The current top spots are held by an Asian trifecta: Singapore, South Korea, and Japan, according to the index powered by IATA data. The US decline stems from losing visa-free access to several nations, including Brazil and China, alongside adjustments by Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, and recent exclusions from Vietnam's new visa-free list. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin views this as a fundamental shift in global mobility, where nations embracing openness are gaining ground over those resting on past privilege. Furthermore, the US exhibits one of the widest global disparities between the travel freedom it enjoys and the openness it offers to other nationalities, which experts link to increasingly inward-looking US political policies. This insular stance is further evidenced by recent visa restrictions and increased fees imposed on travelers from several developing nations, particularly in Africa.
