The Henley Passport Index, compiled by Henley & Partners, evaluates global passport rankings based on visa-free access to destinations. It uses exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), covering 199 passports and 227 destinations.
- India: Ranked 85th in 2025, down from 80th in 2024. India’s best performance was 71st in 2006, and its lowest was 90th in 2021.
- Pakistan and Bangladesh: Ranked 103rd and 100th, respectively, reflecting slight declines from 2024.
- Singapore: Retained the top spot for the second consecutive year.
- Japan: Ranked 2nd after sharing the top spot with Singapore in 2024.
Global Trends in Passport Mobility
The 2025 rankings revealed significant shifts over the past decade:
- Biggest Fallers:
- United States: Dropped from 2nd in 2015 to 9th in 2025.
- Venezuela: Fell from 48th to 54th.
- United Kingdom: Once ranked 1st in 2015, now sits at 5th.
- Canada: Dropped from 4th to 7th.
- Biggest Climbers:
- China: Climbed from 94th in 2015 to 60th in 2025, gaining access to 40 more destinations.
Investment Migration Trends
Henley & Partners reported a surge in interest for alternative citizenship and residency programs, especially from U.S. nationals, who accounted for 21% of all applications in 2024.
Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners, noted:
“Investors and wealthy families are adopting geopolitical arbitrage strategies, acquiring additional residence or citizenship options to hedge against risks and optimize financial and lifestyle outcomes.”
Key Observations
- The U.S. experienced the second-largest decline in rankings over the past decade, signaling a shift in global mobility dynamics.
- China’s rise in rankings highlights its growing global connectivity.
- The drop in India’s ranking underscores challenges in enhancing global mobility for Indian citizens.
The Henley Passport Index continues to serve as a critical reference for assessing passport power and global mobility trends.
