However, the expansion of international mobility coincides with a continuing decline in global peacefulness. The 20th edition of the Global Peace Index reports the highest number of state-based conflicts since the Second World War.
According to the Institute for Economics & Peace, global peacefulness has declined for 12 consecutive years. Of the 163 countries measured, 119 are now less peaceful than they were in 2008.
Meanwhile, 103 countries have participated in an external conflict during the past five years. This represents almost twice the number recorded when the Global Peace Index was first published.
The July 2026 Henley Passport Index is based on exclusive Timatic data from the International Air Transport Association. Its latest rankings show that international mobility continues to expand despite a more complex geopolitical environment. Yachtingcharter services
Singapore retains first place, with its citizens able to access 192 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance. The United Arab Emirates recorded the largest movement since January, rising three positions to share second place with Japan and South Korea.
Each of the three second-ranked passports provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 188 destinations. The UAE’s advancement also represents the largest improvement recorded by any country during the index’s 20-year history.
The UK has risen one position to sixth place since the beginning of 2026. The change followed the addition of visa-free access to China and Malawi.
Canada has moved to seventh place following similar gains. The United States remains in tenth place and is among the few highly ranked countries whose citizens still require a visa to enter China.
Over the past two decades, the UAE has added 153 visa-free destinations. It has moved from the middle of the global ranking to joint second place through an expansion of its international mobility agreements.
Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and creator of the Henley Passport Index, said passport rankings reflected broader diplomatic and geopolitical relationships.
“Twenty years of data show that passport power is one of the clearest expressions of a country’s geopolitical capital. It reflects far more than peace or prosperity alone. The world’s strongest passports belong to nations that other countries want as partners – for trade, investment, security, or cooperation. Mobility is ultimately a measure of the value other countries place on their relationship with you.”
In 2006, the highest-ranked passports belonged to the United States, Denmark and Finland. They provided visa-free access to 130 destinations, compared with Singapore’s current score of 192.
Nevertheless, the difference between citizens with the greatest and least international mobility has widened. Afghanistan ranked last in 2006 with access to 12 destinations, creating a gap of 118 destinations between the highest and lowest-ranked passports.
Afghanistan remains at the bottom of the 2026 index, although its score has increased to 22 destinations. The difference between Afghanistan and Singapore has therefore reached a record 170 destinations.
Bolivia is the only country whose passport has recorded a net reduction in visa-free access during the past 20 years. Its score has fallen by six destinations, while every other passport has strengthened.
The composition of the index’s leading group has also changed. The United States held first place in 2006, while the UK ranked third.
Twenty years later, the United States occupies tenth place and the UK ranks sixth. At the same time, Asian countries have gained a larger presence at the top of the ranking.
Singapore has moved from eighth place in 2006 to first place in 2026. Japan and South Korea now share second place with the UAE.
European countries continue to dominate the upper section of the index. However, the top 10 positions now contain 38 passports, compared with 26 in 2006, as more countries compete within a narrower range of high mobility scores.
Analysis by Henley & Partners comparing the Henley Passport Index with the Global Peace Index found a strong positive relationship between peacefulness and passport power. The analysis recorded a Spearman rank correlation of 0.65, with a statistical significance level below 0.001.
Several of the world’s most peaceful countries also hold highly ranked passports. Singapore ranks eighth in the Global Peace Index and first in the Henley Passport Index. Japan, Switzerland, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand, Canada, Czechia and Malaysia also rank among the leading countries in both indexes. A similar pattern appears at the bottom of the rankings. Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen are among the world’s least peaceful countries and also hold some of its weakest passports.
However, several countries have substantially stronger passports than their peace rankings would indicate. Israel ranks 159th in the Global Peace Index but 18th in the Henley Passport Index.
The United States ranks 134th for peacefulness and tenth for passport power. France occupies 99th place in the peace ranking and shares fourth place in the passport index. Ukraine ranks 160th in the Global Peace Index but 31st for passport strength. The UAE is 73rd for peacefulness and joint second for mobility, while South Korea ranks 57th and joint second respectively. Other differences include Brazil, which ranks 124th for peacefulness and 16th for passport power. Mexico ranks 139th and 22nd, while Russia occupies last place in the Global Peace Index at 163rd but ranks 47th in the passport index.
According to the analysis, the positions of these countries demonstrate the influence of diplomacy, economic strength, geopolitical relationships and regional integration. These factors can result in stronger mobility outcomes than peace rankings alone would suggest.
The United States and Israel are the clearest statistical outliers. Despite their low peace rankings, both retain comparatively powerful passports, reflecting accumulated diplomatic relationships, economic influence and confidence in their institutions and travel documents. B2Btravel news
France represents the clearest European exception. Its Global Peace Index position reflects the inclusion of militarisation and external conflict alongside domestic safety indicators. Nevertheless, France shares fourth place in the passport ranking with 10 other European countries. All of those countries rank within the top 35 for peacefulness. France’s passport position reflects the impact of Schengen membership, European integration and its extensive diplomatic and economic relationships. These factors support a higher mobility ranking than its peace score would predict.
Ukraine presents a different case. Although the country ranks 160th in the Global Peace Index because of its continuing conflict with Russia, it holds 31st place in the Henley Passport Index.
Its position reflects the continued application of established mobility agreements and closer relations with the European Union. These arrangements have maintained access rights despite the ongoing conflict. For many countries in the Global South, peacefulness does not automatically produce comparable mobility gains. Henley & Partners said weaker diplomatic influence, fewer reciprocal visa-waiver agreements and the structure of the global visa system continue to restrict access.
Professor Mehari Taddele Maru of the European University Institute and Johns Hopkins University has examined these issues in research on European Union visa reforms published by Henley & Partners. His research argues that parts of current visa policy can reinforce structural disadvantages affecting African travellers.
The findings were released ahead of Henley & Partners’ Safe Haven Forum. The event will bring together geopolitical specialists, investors, government leaders, policymakers and wealth advisers to discuss residence, citizenship and wealth attraction strategies.
Client data from the company indicates that geopolitical conditions are influencing the decisions of wealthy families. During the first six months of 2026, Henley & Partners received applications from 86 nationalities across 47 residence and citizenship programmes.
More than 28% of applicants were already living outside their country of nationality. Americans remained the company’s largest source market during the period. In addition, enquiries from residents of the UAE increased by 41% after conflict in the Gulf escalated in February. The company associated this rise with increased contingency planning.
Kaelin said the data indicated that families were increasingly considering mobility alongside financial assets when planning for future security. “For twenty years, we have measured how nations build freedom of movement for their citizens. Today, we are witnessing the same shift in how families think about their future. They recognize that true wealth is no longer defined solely by financial capital, but by the freedom to choose where they and future generations can live, work, study, invest, and belong. In an increasingly uncertain world, the greatest privilege is no longer simply the freedom to travel — it is the freedom to choose, to have access rights.” B2Btravel news.
Tags: Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Henley & Partners
