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Ranked: The World’s Most and Least Powerful Passports in 2023

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Ranked: The World’s Most and Least Powerful Passports

Depending on your passport, travel can be as simple as just booking flights, finding a hotel, and, then simply going.

But for many across the world, it’s not that easy—a number of passport holders need to obtain a travel/tourist visa prior to arrival. These visas typically require approval from the destination country’s government that can take weeks or months.

Japanese passport holders, for example, are able to visit 193 countries without pre-approval (nearly every country on Earth). Afghans, on the other hand, can only visit 27 countries with the same level of ease.

This ranking uses data from Henley & Partners, which determines the number of countries to which a passport holder has visa-free access.

The World’s Passports

First let’s look at every country’s position in the ranking in the table below:

RankPassportNumber of Countries Allowing Visa-Free Access
#1🇯🇵 Japan193
#1🇸🇬 Singapore193
#3🇰🇷 South Korea192
#4🇩🇪 Germany191
#4🇪🇸 Spain191
#6🇫🇮 Finland190
#6🇮🇹 Italy190
#6🇱🇺 Luxembourg190
#9🇦🇹 Austria189
#9🇩🇰 Denmark189
#9🇳🇱 Netherlands189
#9🇸🇪 Sweden189
#13🇫🇷 France188
#13🇮🇪 Ireland188
#13🇵🇹 Portugal188
#13🇬🇧 United Kingdom188
#17🇧🇪 Belgium187
#17🇨🇿 Czechia187
#17🇳🇿 New Zealand187
#17🇳🇴 Norway187
#17🇨🇭 Switzerland187
#17🇺🇸 United States187
#23🇦🇺 Australia186
#23🇨🇦 Canada186
#23🇬🇷 Greece186
#23🇲🇹 Malta186
#27🇭🇺 Hungary185
#27🇵🇱 Poland185
#29🇱🇹 Lithuania184
#29🇸🇰 Slovakia184
#31🇱🇻 Latvia183
#31🇸🇮 Slovenia183
#33🇪🇪 Estonia182
#34🇮🇸 Iceland181
#35🇲🇾 Malaysia180
#36🇱🇮 Liechtenstein179
#37🇨🇾 Cyprus178
#37🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates178
#39🇷🇴 Romania176
#40🇧🇬 Bulgaria175
#40🇨🇱 Chile175
#40🇭🇷 Croatia175
#40🇲🇨 Monaco175
#44🇭🇰 Hong Kong (SAR China)172
#45🇦🇷 Argentina171
#46🇧🇷 Brazil170
#46🇸🇲 San Marino170
#48🇦🇩 Andorra169
#49🇧🇳 Brunei167
#50🇧🇧 Barbados162
#51🇮🇱 Israel160
#51🇲🇽 Mexico160
#53🇰🇳 St. Kitts and Nevis156
#54🇧🇸 Bahamas155
#55🇻🇦 Vatican City154
#56🇸🇨 Seychelles153
#56🇺🇾 Uruguay153
#58🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines151
#59🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda150
#59🇨🇷 Costa Rica150
#59🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago150
#62🇲🇺 Mauritius146
#63🇱🇨 St. Lucia146
#63🇹🇼 Taiwan 146
#65🇬🇩 Grenada145
#66🇩🇲 Dominica144
#66🇲🇴 Macao (SAR China)144
#66🇺🇦 Ukraine144
#69🇵🇦 Panama143
#70🇵🇾 Paraguay141
#71🇷🇸 Serbia137
#72🇵🇪 Peru136
#73🇨🇴 Colombia133
#73🇬🇹 Guatemala133
#73🇭🇳 Honduras133
#76🇸🇻 El Salvador132
#77🇼🇸 Samoa131
#77🇸🇧 Solomon Islands131
#79🇹🇴 Tonga129
#80🇻🇪 Venezuela128
#81🇳🇮 Nicaragua127
#81🇹🇻 Tuvalu127
#83🇲🇰 North Macedonia125
#84🇲🇪 Montenegro124
#85🇰🇮 Kiribati123
#86🇲🇭 Marshall Islands122
#87🇲🇩 Moldova120
#88🇵🇼 Palau Islands119
#89🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina118
#89🇫🇲 Micronesia118
#89🇷🇺 Russia118
#92🇦🇱 Albania115
#92🇬🇪 Georgia115
#94🇹🇷 Türkiye111
#95🇿🇦 South Africa106
#96🇧🇿 Belize102
#97🇶🇦 Qatar100
#98🇰🇼 Kuwait97
#98🇻🇺 Vanuatu97
#100🇹🇱 Timor-Leste94
#101🇪🇨 Ecuador92
#102🇲🇻 Maldives89
#102🇳🇷 Nauru89
#104🇧🇭 Bahrain87
#104🇫🇯 Fiji87
#104🇬🇾 Guyana87
#107🇧🇼 Botswana86
#107🇯🇲 Jamaica86
#109🇴🇲 Oman82
#109🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea82
#109🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia82
#112🇨🇳 China81
#113🇧🇾 Belarus79
#113🇧🇴 Bolivia79
#113🇹🇭 Thailand79
#116🇳🇦 Namibia78
#117🇱🇸 Lesotho77
#117🇸🇷 Suriname77
#119🇰🇿 Kazakhstan75
#120🇸🇿 Eswatini74
#121🇲🇼 Malawi73
#122🇮🇩 Indonesia72
#122🇰🇪 Kenya72
#124🇹🇿 Tanzania71
#124🇹🇳 Tunisia71
#126🇩🇴 Dominican Republic70
#126🇿🇲 Zambia70
#128🇦🇿 Azerbaijan69
#129🇬🇲 The Gambia68
#130🇵🇭 Philippines67
#131🇺🇬 Uganda66
#132🇦🇲 Armenia65
#132🇨🇻 Cape Verde Islands65
#132🇲🇦 Morocco65
#132🇿🇼 Zimbabwe65
#136🇨🇺 Cuba64
#136🇬🇭 Ghana64
#136🇸🇱 Sierra Leone64
#139🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan63
#140🇲🇳 Mongolia61
#140🇲🇿 Mozambique61
#142🇧🇯 Benin60
#142🇮🇳 India60
#142🇷🇼 Rwanda60
#145🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe59
#145🇹🇯 Tajikistan59
#145🇺🇿 Uzbekistan59
#148🇲🇷 Mauritania58
#149🇧🇫 Burkina Faso57
#150🇨🇮 Cote d'Ivoire56
#150🇬🇦 Gabon56
#150🇸🇳 Senegal56
#153🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea55
#153🇬🇳 Guinea55
#153🇻🇳 Vietnam55
#156🇰🇭 Cambodia54
#156🇲🇬 Madagascar54
#156🇹🇬 Togo54
#159🇪🇬 Egypt53
#159🇯🇴 Jordan53
#159🇲🇱 Mali53
#159🇳🇪 Niger53
#163🇩🇿 Algeria52
#163🇧🇹 Bhutan52
#163🇨🇫 Central African Republic52
#163🇹🇩 Chad52
#163🇰🇲 Comoros52
#163🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau52
#163🇹🇲 Turkmenistan52
#170🇨🇲 Cameroon51
#171🇦🇴 Angola50
#171🇱🇦 Laos50
#173🇧🇮 Burundi49
#173🇨🇬 Congo (Rep.)49
#173🇱🇷 Liberia49
#176🇩🇯 Djibouti48
#176🇭🇹 Haiti48
#178🇲🇲 Myanmar47
#179🇪🇹 Ethiopia46
#179🇳🇬 Nigeria46
#181🇪🇷 Eritrea44
#181🇮🇷 Iran44
#181🇸🇸 South Sudan44
#184🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo 42
#184🇸🇩 Sudan42
#186🇽🇰 Kosovo41
#186🇱🇧 Lebanon41
#186🇱🇰 Sri Lanka41
#189🇧🇩 Bangladesh40
#189🇱🇾 Libya40
#189🇰🇵 North Korea40
#192🇵🇸 Palestine38
#193🇳🇵 Nepal37
#194🇸🇴 Somalia35
#195🇾🇪 Yemen34
#196🇵🇰 Pakistan32
#197🇸🇾 Syria30
#198🇮🇶 Iraq29
#199Afghanistan27

Visas are imposed by some countries to make it easier to track visitors, allowing a country to assess whether said passport-holder may be a risk for illegal immigration, crime, acts of terror, or covert surveillance.

For example, both Russia and China require American passport holders to obtain visas prior to travel, and vice versa.

The Most Powerful Passports

When it comes to the most powerful passports, most of the top 20 are issued by countries in Asia or Europe, with the exception of New Zealand and the United States.

Due to multiple ties in the rankings the U.S. technically ranks 17th, having visa-free access to 187 countries, on par with Norway, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

Ranking 66th, Ukraine’s passport has actually seen drastic improvement over the last decade, currently getting visa-free access to 144 countries. It has yet to be seen how this will change in the wake of the Russia/Ukraine conflict.

The Least Powerful Passports

Many of least powerful passports come out of war-torn and politically unstable nations. As visas for travel are typically required to counter illicit activity, these nations are often flagged whether justly or not.

One immediate standout among the least powerful passports is North Korea. The insular nation has visa-free access to 40 countries, ranking it above eight other passports on the list.

Most North Koreans who travel abroad do so only in extremely special circumstances for work, study, or athletic competitions. Leisure travel out of North Korea does not happen, but technically, North Koreans can visit countries like Haiti, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Palestine, and Kyrgyzstan, among others without a visa.

The Biggest Gainers & Losers Over Time

From a big picture standpoint, the world’s travelers have seen their access improve significantly over the last 10 years. If you’re a citizen of the UAE, for example, your prospects for visa-free travel have improved by 100+ countries over the last decade.

most and least powerful passports

Here’s a closer look at 15 countries with the greatest change in visa-free access:

RankCountry2013 Visa-Free Access2023 Visa-Free Access10 Year Change
#1🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates72178+106
#2🇨🇴 Colombia63133+70
#3🇺🇦 Ukraine77144+67
#4🇲🇩 Moldova59120+61
#5🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines92151+59
#6🇩🇲 Dominica87144+57
#6🇬🇩 Grenada88145+57
#8🇵🇪 Peru80136+56
#9🇬🇪 Georgia60115+55
#10🇱🇨 St. Lucia94146+52
#11🇼🇸 Samoa81131+50
#11🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago100150+50
#13🇹🇴 Tonga80129+49
#14🇸🇧 Solomon Islands84131+47
#15🇭🇷 Croatia129175+46

On the other hand, other countries have fared poorly, with some actually losing access to destinations since 2013. Yemen and Syria are tied for first place, having lost visa-free access to nine countries over the last 10 years.

Here’s a look at 15 countries who experienced the biggest negative change:

RankCountry2013 Visa-Free Access2023 Visa-Free Access10 Year Change
#1🇾🇪 Yemen4334-9
#1🇸🇾 Syria3930-9
#3🇳🇬 Nigeria4846-2
#3🇮🇶 Iraq3129-2
#5🇰🇵 North Korea4140-1
#5🇧🇩 Bangladesh4140-1
#5🇦🇫 Afghanistan2827-1
#8🇻🇪 Venezuela1281280
#8🇬🇲 The Gambia68680
#8🇵🇰 Pakistan32320
#8🇳🇪 Niger53530
#8🇳🇵 Nepal37370
#8🇲🇱 Mali53530
#14🇹🇬 Togo5354+1
#14🇸🇱 Sierra Leone6364+1

Looking at the tables above, it’s apparent that the world has generally become more open in recent years.

Overall, the power of a passport is almost directly reflective of the political state of the world. World powers and rich nations typically have free flow of travel, but those facing instability or war are often also face barriers when wanting to go abroad.

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War

Visualized: Top 15 Global Tank Fleets

Heavily armed and armored, the modern tank is a versatile and mobile weapons platform, and a critical piece of contemporary warfare. 

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Teaser image for an dot matrix chart of the top 15 global tank fleets, broken down by main battle tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and storage, showing that the U.S. is number one, by a wide margin.

The Top 15 Global Tank Fleets

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Heavily armed and armored, the modern tank is a versatile and mobile weapons platform, and a critical piece of contemporary warfare.

This visualization shows the top 15 global tank fleets, using data from the 2024 Military Balance report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

Let’s take an in-depth look at the top three fleets:

1. United States

As the world’s pre-eminent military power, it’s perhaps no surprise that the United States also has the largest tank fleet, by a wide margin.

In total, they have just over 45,000 armored fighting vehicles in operation, along with 2,640 main battle tanks (MBTs), and 12,800 vehicles in storage, of which 2,000 are main battle tanks.

CategoryVehiclesGlobal rank
Main battle tanks2,6404
Armored reconnaissance1,7451
Infantry fighting vehicles3,2623
Armored personnel carriers10,6441
Amphibious assault vehicles1,4011
Armored utility vehicles28,4451
Storage12,8001
Total60,9371

The U.S. is internalizing the lessons from the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, where Western-supplied anti-tank weapons and massed Ukrainian artillery have been cutting Russian tanks to pieces. As a result, the U.S. recently canceled an upgrade of the M1 Abrams in favor of a more ambitious upgrade.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is nervously eyeing a more confident China and a potential clash over Taiwan, where air and naval forces will be critical. However, a recent war game showed that Taiwanese mechanized ground forces, kitted out with American-made tanks and armored fighting vehicles, were critical in keeping the island autonomous.

2. Russia

According to Oryx, a Dutch open-source intelligence defense website, at time of writing, Russia has lost almost 2,800 main battle tanks since invading Ukraine. Considering that in the 2022 edition of the Military Balance, Russia was estimated to have 2,927 MBTs in operation, those are some hefty losses.

Russia has been able to maintain about 2,000 MBTs in the field, in part, by increasing domestic production. Many defense plants have been taken over by state-owned Rostec and now operate around the clock. Russia is also now spending a full third of their budget on defense, equivalent to about 7.5% of GDP.

At the same time, they’ve also been drawing down their Soviet-era stockpiles, which are modernized before being sent to the front. Just how long they can keep this up is an open question; their stockpiles are large, but not limitless. Here is what their storage levels look like:

Category20232024YOY change
Main battle tanks5,0004,000-20.0%
Armored reconnaissance1,000100-90.0%
Infantry fighting vehicles4,0002,800-30.0%
Armored personnel carriers6,0002,300-61.7%
Total16,0009,200-42.5%

3. China

China holds the third overall spot and top place globally for the number of main battle tanks in operation. Untypically, the People’s Liberation Army has no armored vehicles in storage, which perhaps isn’t surprising when you consider that China has been rapidly modernizing its military and that stockpiles usually contain older models.

China also has one of the world’s largest fleets of armored fighting vehicles, second only to the United States. Breaking down that headline number, we can also see that they have the largest number of light tanks, wheeled guns, and infantry fighting vehicles. 

CategoryVehiclesGlobal rank
Main battle tanks4,7001
Light tanks1,3301
Wheeled guns1,2501
Infantry fighting vehicles8,2001
Armored personnel carriers3,6045
Airborne combat vehicles1802
Amphibious assault vehicles9902
Total20,2543

This is equipment that would be integral if China were to make an attempt to reunify Taiwan with the mainland by force, where lightly armored mechanized units need to move with speed to occupy the island before Western allies can enter the fray. It’s worth noting that China also has one of the world’s largest fleets of amphibious assault vehicles.

End of the Tank?

Many commentators at the outset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were quick to predict the end of the tank, however, to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the tank’s demise are greatly exaggerated.

With the U.S. and China both developing remote and autonomous armored vehicles, tanks could be quite different in the future, but there is nothing else that matches them for firepower, mobility, and survivability on the modern battlefield today.

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