The 20th edition of the index shows that average visa-free access has nearly doubled since 2006, even as the Global Peace Index records its bleakest findings amid rising global conflict.

The average passport now provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 108 destinations, up from 58 when the Henley Passport Index launched in 2006, according to the 20th anniversary edition of the index published by Henley & Partners, the residence and citizenship advisory firm. Singapore retains first place with access to 192 destinations.

The UAE recorded the largest move since January, climbing three places to join Japan and South Korea in second place with 188 destinations – the biggest cumulative improvement of any passport over the index's 20-year history, having added 153 visa-free destinations since 2006. The UK has risen one place to sixth this year after gaining access to China and Malawi, while Canada climbed to seventh. The US remains tenth and is now among the few top-ranked passports whose holders still need a visa for China.

The findings come alongside the latest Global Peace Index, also marking its 20th edition, which the Institute for Economics & Peace describes as its bleakest yet. Global peacefulness has declined for a 12th consecutive year, with 119 of 163 countries measured less peaceful than in 2008 and 103 countries involved in an external conflict in the past five years, roughly double the number recorded when that index began.

The gap between the most and least mobile citizens has widened over the period. In 2006, Afghanistan's 12-destination access created a 118-destination gap with the top-ranked passport; today Afghanistan's access has risen to 22, but Singapore's score of 192 has pushed the gap to a record 170 destinations. Bolivia is the only passport to have lost ground over 20 years, down six destinations, while every other country has gained.

New analysis by Henley & Partners comparing the two indexes found a positive correlation between peacefulness and passport strength (Spearman ρ = 0.65, p < 0.001), holding at both ends of the rankings. But it also identified exceptions where diplomatic and economic weight outweighs peace rankings: the US (134th on the GPI, 10th on the HPI), Israel (159th and 18th), France (99th and 4th) and Ukraine (160th and 31st) all rank far higher on mobility than their peace scores alone would predict.

Henley & Partners said applications to its residence and citizenship programmes came from 86 nationalities in the first half of 2026, with more than 28 per cent of applicants already resident outside their country of nationality. Enquiries from UAE-based clients have risen 41 per cent since the Gulf conflict escalated in February.

Dr Christian H Kaelin, chairman at Henley & Partners, said the two decades of data show passport power reflects a country's geopolitical capital rather 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," he said.

The firm's research also points to structural imbalances in the global visa system: analysis published alongside the index cites work by Professor Mehari Taddele Maru of the European University Institute and Johns Hopkins University arguing that current visa policy continues to disadvantage African travellers relative to wealthier states.