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US passport drops to historic low, falling out of world’s Top 10
For the first time in 20 years, the US passport slipped to 12th in global rankings.
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Pranavi Sharma - Wed, 15, Oct 2025
- 03:15 EDT
- 41
US Passport / Pexels
The United States passport has dropped to its lowest ranking in history, falling out of the world’s top 10 for the first time since the Henley Passport Index was established two decades ago.
Once ranked No. 1 in 2014, the US passport now sits in 12th place, tied with Malaysia, offering visa-free access to 180 of 227 destinations worldwide. The United Kingdom’s passport also recorded its weakest performance ever, slipping from 6th to 8th place since July, despite having held the top position in 2015.
“The decline of the US passport and its most recent drop from 10th to 12th position on the index has been driven by a series of access changes,” Henley & Partners said in a statement.
ALSO READ: India bounces back to 77th rank in passport strength index
The firm explained that the loss of visa-free access to Brazil in April, due to a lack of reciprocity, and the US being excluded from China’s expanding visa-free list began the downward trend. “This was followed by adjustments from Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, which further eroded the US score while boosting other passports,” the report said. “Most recently, Somalia’s new eVisa system and Vietnam’s decision to exclude the US from its latest visa-free additions delivered the final blow, pushing it out of the top 10.”
Meanwhile, Asian nations continued to dominate the global rankings. Singapore retained the top position with visa-free access to 193 destinations, followed by South Korea with 190 and Japan with 189.
China also posted one of the strongest upward movements on the index. It now ranks 64th, compared with 94th in 2015, after expanding visa-free access to 37 more destinations over the decade. “Recent developments, including granting visa-free access to Russia, underscore Beijing’s ongoing strategy of increased openness,” the report noted. It added that China’s agreements with Gulf states, South America, and parts of Europe are “cementing its role as a global mobility powerhouse.”
India’s position also weakened in the latest update. The Indian passport dropped to 85th place, tied with Mauritania, offering visa-free access to 57 countries — down from 59 earlier this year when it ranked 77th.
The Henley Passport Index, published by global citizenship firm Henley & Partners, is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and measures the number of destinations passport holders can enter without a prior visa.
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