Business
How Powerful is Your Passport in a Post-Pandemic World?
How Powerful is Your Passport in a Post-Pandemic World?
With COVID-19 cases falling in many parts of the world and vaccination programs ramping up at warp speed, international travel no longer seems like a distant dream.
The Henley Passport Index, which has been regularly monitoring the world’s most travel-friendly passports since 2006, has released its latest rankings and analysis.
The most recent data provides insight into what travel freedom will look like in a post-pandemic world as countries selectively begin to open their borders to international visitors.
Prominent Countries Still Holding Strong
The rankings are based on the visa-free score of a particular country. A visa-free score refers to the number of countries that a passport holder can visit without a visa, with a visa on arrival, or by obtaining an electronic travel authorization (ETA).
Without considering the constantly changing COVID-19 restrictions, Japan firmly holds its position as the country with the strongest passport for the 4th year in a row.
This positioning is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA)—with Japanese passport holders theoretically able to access a record 193 destinations from around the world visa-free.
The last time Japan didn’t hold the number one position was back in 2017, when it shared the 5th spot with countries like the United States, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
Rank (2021) | Country | Visa-Free Score (2021) | Rank (2011) | Visa-Free Score (2011) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 193 | 4 | 170 |
2 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 192 | 9 | 164 |
3 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 191 | 2 | 172 |
3 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 191 | 10 | 163 |
4 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 190 | 1 | 173 |
4 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 190 | 3 | 171 |
4 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 190 | 3 | 171 |
4 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 190 | 4 | 170 |
5 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 189 | 6 | 168 |
5 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 189 | 1 | 173 |
Singapore remains in 2nd place, with a visa-free score of 192, while Germany and South Korea again share joint-3rd place, each with access to 191 destinations.
Throughout the 16-year history of the Henley Index, EU countries have maintained a dominant position in the passport strength reports. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain all hold the 4th position while Austria and Denmark round up the top 5 with a visa-free score of 189.
Country | Rank (2011) | Rank (2021) | Difference |
---|---|---|---|
🇺🇸 United States | 5 | 7 | -2 |
🇨🇦 Canada | 9 | 9 | 0 |
🇲🇽 Mexico | 29 | 23 | 6 |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 3 | 7 | -4 |
🇧🇷 Brazil | 25 | 17 | 8 |
The United States and the United Kingdom jointly share the 7th position with a visa-free score of 187 destinations. Canada, Mexico and Brazil hold the 9th, 23rd and 17th positions respectively, with Brazil experiencing a significant jump of eight places over the last 10 years.
Editor’s note: Visit the Henley Passport Index site for a full list and ranking of all countries around the world.
The Countries With The Least Travel Freedom
Afghanistan continues to be the country with the least amount of travel freedom, coming in last place (110th rank) with a visa-free score of 26 destinations. Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen have access to slightly more visa-free travel, but still linger at the bottom of the overall ranking.
Rank (2021) | Country | Visa-Free Score (2021) | Rank (2011) | Visa-Free Score (2011) |
---|---|---|---|---|
110 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 26 | 101 | 24 |
109 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 28 | 100 | 28 |
108 | 🇸🇾 Syria | 29 | 93 | 37 |
107 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 32 | 99 | 31 |
106 | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 33 | 91 | 39 |
The latest report indicates that the gap in travel freedom is now at its largest since the index began in 2006. Japanese passport holders can access 167 more destinations than citizens of Afghanistan, who can visit only 26.
The Biggest Gainers In a Decade
Over time, small annual moves in the Henley Passport Index can make a big impact—and in the last decade, countries like China and the UAE have been the biggest movers:
China has risen by 22 places in the ranking since 2011 by going from a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 40 destinations to now 77.
The most remarkable turnaround story on the index by far, however, is the UAE. In 2011, the UAE was ranked 65th with a visa-free score of 67 destinations. Today, thanks to the Emirates’ ongoing efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with countries across the globe, it is now ranked 15th with a remarkable visa-free score of 174 destinations.
Real Estate
Modular Housing vs. Traditional Housing: How Do They Compare?
Modular housing can be completed 40% faster and costs 10-25% less than traditional construction methods. Is the future of housing modular?


Modular Housing vs. Traditional Housing: How Do They Compare?
The U.S. needs new houses. Lots of them.
With housing prices nearing six times annual incomes, increasing supply is a must if there is any hope of bringing down house prices, and modular housing could be the solution.
This visualization is the third and final piece of the Reimagining Home Series from our sponsor Boxabl, where we compare the benefits of modular housing against traditional construction methods. Let’s start with the basics.
What Is Modular Housing?
Modular homes are built offsite, in standardized sections, usually in a factory setting. They are then transported to the building site and assembled on a waiting foundation. Once complete, modular homes look just like any other house.
Modular housing is not the same as manufactured homes, which are also sometimes called mobile homes. Like modular housing, manufactured homes are built offsite in a factory, but the key difference is that they can be moved after being assembled. Modular homes aren’t meant to be moved again after final assembly.
6 Ways Modular Homes Differ to Traditional Homes
The following benefits are based on information from the Modular Home Building Association, as well as a paper given at the 2020 Creative Construction e-Conference by members of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington.
1. Speed of Construction
Because of the piecemeal nature of modular construction, many building activities can be done simultaneously, greatly reducing the overall time of completion. At the same time, because construction happens indoors, weather delays aren’t an issue. Overall, a modular housing project can be completed in 40% less time than using traditional building construction methods.
2. Cost Effectiveness
Standardization of design, less transportation of materials onsite, and the reduced impact of weather are some of the reasons that modular housing can be much cheaper than traditional building methods. According to the authors of the paper, there was a 10-25% decrease in construction costs for modular housing, again, compared to traditional methods.
3. Customizable
A common misconception is that modular housing isn’t customizable. While many manufacturers will often begin with a starter floor plan, they may also offer various customization options throughout the home.
4. Safety Record
Construction is a dangerous way to make a living. In 2021, construction and extraction workers held the number two spot for fatal occupational injuries in the U.S., with 951 work fatalities.
When you drill down into that number, construction tradespeople are in the majority, by far, with 726 that year alone.Description | Fatalities |
---|---|
Transportation and material moving occupations | 1,523 |
Construction and extraction occupations | 951 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | 475 |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations | 356 |
Management occupations | 323 |
Protective service occupations | 302 |
Production occupations | 242 |
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 218 |
Sales and related occupations | 200 |
Food preparation and serving related occupations | 101 |
Office and administrative support occupations | 91 |
Unknown occupation | 71 |
Personal care and service occupations | 64 |
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations | 57 |
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations | 45 |
Community and social services occupations | 40 |
Healthcare support occupations | 32 |
Architecture and engineering occupations | 29 |
Business and financial operations occupations | 27 |
Educational instruction and library occupations | 16 |
Legal occupations | 11 |
Life, physical, and social science occupations | 10 |
Computer and mathematical occupations | 6 |
Military occupations | 0 |
Total | 5,190 |
Because modular construction happens in a controlled, factory environment, the number of accidents decreases by 80% compared to traditional building methods.
5. Environmental Impact
Anyone who has walked past a residential build site can testify to the amount of waste produced during construction. Modular construction is more efficient and therefore produces less waste. And because onsite construction is limited to assembly, there is less dust and noise. Carbon emissions are also 38% lower.
6. Built to Last
Modular housing is as good, if not better constructed, than many traditionally-built houses. The factory environment allows for superior quality control, and homes built this way use 15-20% more wood per square foot, which makes them stronger. Moreover, in a study commissioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after 1992’s Hurricane Andrew found that modular housing “performed much better than conventional residential framing.”
A Market On The Rise
Not only is modular housing cheaper and greener than traditional construction methods, it is also a market on the rise.
According to a recent report, the global modular construction market is expected to reach $54 billion by 2027, with a CAGR of 2.9% between 2021 to 2027.
Thinking Outside of the Box on Housing
Modular housing could be a solution to the housing affordability crisis not only in the U.S., but around the world. And with the global city population expected to hit 68% by 2050, it’s time to think outside the box on housing.
Boxabl uses advanced, mass production techniques to build and ship homes that significantly lower the cost of home ownership for everyone.
This is the final piece in the Reimagining Home Series from our sponsor, Boxabl. Be sure to read parts one and two on urbanization and affordable housing.

Learn more about how Boxabl is helping tackle the housing affordability crisis.

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