Current:Home > NewsSingapore's passport dethrones Japan as world's most powerful -MacroWatch
Singapore's passport dethrones Japan as world's most powerful
View
Date:2025-04-16 22:26:55
If you hold a Singaporean passport, you're in luck.
The Southeast Asian country's citizenship document officially ranks as the most powerful in the world, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which was published Tuesday.
According to the index, Singaporeans can travel to 192 out of 227 travel destinations in the world without a visa.
In a "major shake-up," Singapore beat out Japan, which has ranked No. 1 on the index for the last five years.
Japan fell behind Germany, Italy and Spain, all of whom are tied for second place, boasting 190 visa-free travel destinations for their passport holders.
Japan is now in a tie for third on the index with six other nations: Austria, France, Finland, Luxembourg, South Korea and Sweden with 189 destinations without a visa.
In comparison, the U.S. was quite a bit lower on the index, dropping down a spot from last year to eighth place, tied with Lithuania, with 184 travel destinations without a visa.
The U.S. and the United Kingdom have both been on a downward trend since 2014, when their passports ranked No. 1 in the world.
Over the last decade the U.S. has increased the number of destinations that its citizens can travel to without visas by 12, Henley & Partners said. However, that marks the smallest increase for any nation in the index's top 10.
According to Henley & Partners, a London-based global migration consultant group, only eight countries have seen less visa access than they had a decade ago.
Greg Lindsay, a global strategist at Cornell Tech's Jacobs Institute, said America's fall in the passport ranking is an indicator that the U.S. and other Western countries are "falling behind."
"America's relentless slide down the rankings — and unlikelihood of reclaiming the highest position any time soon — is a warning to its neighbor Canada and the rest of the Anglosphere as well," Lindsay said in a statement.
The U.S. also ranks low on "openness," only allowing 44 other nationalities to visit visa-free.
The index found that the three weakest passports in the world are Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, which can take you to 30, 29 and 27 destinations, respectively.
While many travelers have been seeing more freedom to travel visa-free over the years, the gap between the top and the bottom of the rankings has also widened.
"The general trend over the history of the 18-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, with the average number of destinations travelers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2023," Henley & Partners said. "However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been, with top-ranked Singapore able to access 165 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan."
The index is based upon exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association, a major travel information database.
- In:
- Travel
- Singapore
- Italy
- Spain
- Japan
Simrin Singh is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (1696)
Related
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Two 18-year-olds charged with murder of former ‘General Hospital’ actor Johnny Wactor
- Ex- NFL lineman Michael Oher discusses lawsuit against Tuohy family and 'The Blind Side'
- Tamirat Tola and Hellen Obiri look to defend titles in New York City Marathon
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Former NFL player accused of urinating on fellow passenger on Dublin flight issues apology
- 3 killed in Washington state house fire were also shot; victim’s husband wanted
- A Path Through Scorched Earth Teaches How a Fire Deficit Helped Fuel California’s Conflagrations
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Phil Donahue, who ruled daytime talk for years until Oprah overtook him, left a lasting imprint
Ranking
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- The internet’s love for ‘very demure’ content spotlights what a viral trend can mean for creators
- 3 exhumed Tulsa Race Massacre victims found with gunshot wounds
- How To Decorate Your Dorm Room for Under $200
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Arizona judge to announce winner of Democratic primary recount for US House race
- Arizona woman wins $1 million ordering lottery ticket on her phone, nearly wins Powerball
- Teen Mom’s Farrah Abraham Shares Insight Into 15-Year-Old Daughter Sophia’s Latest Milestone
Recommendation
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
Body cam video shows fatal Fort Lee police shooting unfolded in seconds
Horoscopes Today, August 18, 2024
Sixers agree with breakout Olympic star Guerschon Yabusele on one-year deal, per report
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
The Daily Money: Real estate rules are changing. What does it mean for buyers, sellers?
PHOTO COLLECTION: Election 2024 Trump
Why Ryan Reynolds 'kicked' himself for delayed 'Deadpool' tribute to Rob Delaney's son