Washington. The American Passport no longer has the power due to which it was always in the news. In simple words, the American Passport has suffered a major setback at the global level. According to the latest data of Henley Passport Index, the American passport has been out of the list of top 10 most powerful passports in the world for the first time after 20 years. This passport, which was at the first position in 2014, has now slipped to 12th position and has come at par with Malaysia. Experts are calling this a weakness in America’s global soft power. On the other hand, the countries of Asia-Pacific have again taken the lead in the strength of passport.
Singapore-South Korea’s dominance
According to the Henley Passport Index, Singapore now has the strongest passport in the world, allowing visa-free travel to 193 countries. The second spot is occupied by South Korea (190) and the third by Japan (189). The old giants of Europe like Germany, Italy and Spain have also made it to the top five. Meanwhile, America’s slip of two places to 12th position represents a major change in the ranking of global travel freedom.
The world is giving a befitting reply to America
According to the data, US citizens get visa-free entry to 180 countries, but America itself allows people from only 46 countries to visit without visa. America is stuck at 77th place in the Henley Openness Index. This clearly means that as much as America is closing itself, other countries are tightening their doors for its people. This situation is creating the largest ‘revenge gap’ in the world after Australia.
China fast moving ahead in passport race
America’s ranking is sliding down, while China is moving forward at a fast pace in the strength of passport. China was at 94th position in 2015, but by 2025 it will reach 64th position. In the last 10 years, China has gained visa-free access to 37 new countries. It now allows visa-free travel to 76 countries, a full 30 more than the US’s 46. The recent addition of Russia to this list clearly shows that Beijing is cleverly running its ‘travel diplomacy’, while Washington seems to be lagging behind in its open policy.
Americans looking for a second passport
The diminishing power of the US passport is now affecting the decisions of Americans as well. According to the report of Henley & Partners, in 2025, American citizens are the most likely to apply for investment-based immigration programs. By the third quarter, their applications had increased by 67 percent compared to the entire previous year. This trend suggests that many Americans are racing to regain their travel freedom through alternative citizenship or residency.
