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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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Politics

Charted: The Number of Democracies Globally

How many democracies does the world have? This visual shows the change since 1945 and the top nations becoming more (and less) democratic.

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Charted: The Number of Democracies Globally

The end of World War II in 1945 was a turning point for democracies around the world.

Before this critical turning point in geopolitics, democracies made up only a small number of the world’s countries, both legally and in practice. However, over the course of the next six decades, the number of democratic nations would more than quadruple.

Interestingly, studies have found that this trend has recently reversed as of the 2010s, with democracies and non-democracies now in a deadlock.

In this visualization, Staffan Landin uses data from V-DEM’s Electoral Democratic Index (EDI) to highlight the changing face of global politics over the past two decades and the nations that contributed the most to this change.

The Methodology

V-DEM’s EDI attempts to measure democratic development in a comprehensive way, through the contributions of 3,700 experts from countries around the world.

Instead of relying on each nation’s legally recognized system of government, the EDI analyzes the level of electoral democracy in countries on a range of indicators, including:

  • Free and fair elections
  • Rule of law
  • Alternative sources of information and association
  • Freedom of expression

Countries are assigned a score on a scale from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating a higher level of democracy. Each is also categorized into four types of functional government, from liberal and electoral democracies to electoral and closed autocracies.

Which Countries Have Declined the Most?

The EDI found that numerous countries around the world saw declines in democracy over the past two decades. Here are the 10 countries that saw the steepest decline in EDI score since 2010:

CountryDemocracy Index (2010)Democracy Index (2022)Points Lost
🇭🇺 Hungary0.800.46-34
🇵🇱 Poland0.890.59-30
🇷🇸 Serbia0.610.34-27
🇹🇷 Türkiye0.550.28-27
🇮🇳 India0.710.44-27
🇲🇱 Mali0.510.25-26
🇹🇭 Thailand0.440.20-24
🇦🇫 Afghanistan0.380.16-22
🇧🇷 Brazil0.880.66-22
🇧🇯 Benin0.640.42-22

Central and Eastern Europe was home to three of the countries seeing the largest declines in democracy. Hungary, Poland, and Serbia lead the table, with Hungary and Serbia in particular dropping below scores of 0.5.

Some of the world’s largest countries by population also decreased significantly, including India and Brazil. Across most of the top 10, the “freedom of expression” indicator was hit particularly hard, with notable increases in media censorship to be found in Afghanistan and Brazil.

Countries Becoming More Democratic

Here are the 10 countries that saw the largest increase in EDI score since 2010:

CountryDemocracy Index (2010)Democracy Index (2022)Points Gained
🇦🇲 Armenia0.340.74+40
🇫🇯 Fiji0.140.40+26
🇬🇲 The Gambia0.250.50+25
🇸🇨 Seychelles0.450.67+22
🇲🇬 Madagascar0.280.48+20
🇹🇳 Tunisia0.400.56+16
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka0.420.57+15
🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau0.410.56+15
🇲🇩 Moldova0.590.74+15
🇳🇵 Nepal0.460.59+13

Armenia, Fiji, and Seychelles saw significant improvement in the autonomy of their electoral management bodies in the last 10 years. Partially as a result, both Armenia and Seychelles have seen their scores rise above 0.5.

The Gambia also saw great improvement across many election indicators, including the quality of voter registries, vote buying, and election violence. It was one of five African countries to make the top 10 most improved democracies.

With the total number of democracies and non-democracies almost tied over the past four years, it is hard to predict the political atmosphere in the future.

Want to know more about democracy in today’s world? Check out our global breakdown of each country’s democratic score in Mapped: The State of Global Democracy in 2022.
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