India’s drop from 80th to 85th in the Henley Passport Index provides a lens through which the broader challenges of India’s democratic governance can be examined.
According to the ranking, Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to just 57 countries, signalling a complex intersection of national policy, international relations, and governance quality. It’s a telling reflection of how democracy has been continuously and consistently abused in Narendra Modi’s India.
India’s reputation is undeniably tarnished by instances of poor governance that prioritise political manoeuvring over collective good, which has compromised the country’s ability to leverage its full potential on the global stage.
Even the UAE has risen in the passport ranking, courtesy of amicable global trade partnerships and political stability. Since 2015, the UAE has secured access to an additional 72 destinations, climbing 32 places to the 10th spot with visa-free access to 185 destinations worldwide.
With a top ranking so far this year, Singapore has emerged as of the strongest passports in the world. Now, a Singaporean passport holder can visit 195 countries worldwide without a visa, according to the Henley Passport Index. Japan (193 nations), Finland (192 nations), France (192 nations), Germany (192 nations), Italy (192 nations), South Korea (192 nations), Spain (192 nations), Austria (191 nations), and Denmark (191 nations) come next.
The report adds that the US surprisingly has dropped seven spots from second rank to ninth place, making it the second-biggest faller after Venezuela between 2015 and 2025.
“Even before the advent of a second Trump presidency, American political trends had become notably inward-looking and isolationist. Even though US economic health relies heavily on immigration, tourism, and trade, voters during the 2024 presidential campaign were fed a narrative that America can (and should) stand alone,” Annie Pforzheimer, Senior Associate at Washington thinktank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was quoted as saying.
With visa-free travel to just 33 countries, Pakistan and Yemen tied at 103rd place on the Henley Passport Index in 2025. Afghanistan (26 countries), Syria (27 countries), and Iraq (31 countries) come next.
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