Singapore crowned as the Most Powerful Passport in the world

Singapore has been crowned as the Most Powerful Passport in the world on the Henley Passport Index. The city-state also sets a new record score, with its citizens now enjoying access to 195 travel destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free. France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain drop to joint second place, each with visa-free access to 192 destinations, and an unprecedented seven-nation, based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

India has moved up to 83rd rank, gaining two spots in comparison to last year. This gives the citizens access to over 58 countries worldwide. Meanwhile, Afghanistan remains as the world’s weakest passport, losing access to yet another destination over the past six months, leaving its citizens with access to only 26 countries visa-free, the lowest score ever recorded in history of the index.

Christian H Kaelin, Chairman, Henley & Partners, stated, “The general trend over the past two decades has been towards greater travel freedom, with the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. 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 a record-breaking 169 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan”.

According to IATA, airlines will connect nearly five billion people over 22,000 routes on 39 million flights in 2024, and the air cargo transported will reach 62 million tonnes, facilitating an astonishing US$ 8.3 trillion in trade. 
Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA, said, “Our industry expects to record revenues of almost US$ 1 trillion this year. Expenses, however, will also be at a record high of US$ 936 billion. Net profit will be US$ 30.5 billion. This translates to a modest net margin of around three per cent, making the profit per passenger just US$ 6.14 barely enough for a single espresso in a typical hotel café. Additionally, this year, the return on invested capital is projected at 5.7 per cent, significantly below the average nine percent cost of capital. Despite this, the real cost of air travel has fallen 34 per cent over the last decade.”