Singapore has pulled just ahead of Japan for the top spot on the annual Henley Passport Index which measure the ‘strength’ of passports by how many countries their holders can visit without a visa.
But that’s an indication of how tight the race is, year after year. Based on International Air Transport Association data for 199 known passports, there’s a very tight grouping at the top, and shifts mostly take place within a tight band.
Behind Singapore, which claims access to 195 of 227 destinations and Japan with 193, third place is held by France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland and South Korea, all at 192. Seven countries are tied at fourth place with 191, and five countries are fifth at 190. Altogether, there are 34 countries in the top 10, and the bottom of the top 10 is still valid for entering 185 countries.
At the far end of the list, Afghanistan is alone at 26, just behind Syria—which may soon see change—at 27. Also at the low end are Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia and Nepal.
Image by diego duque from Pixabay
