by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 1:00 PM ET, Tue July 21, 2026
The latest Henley Passport Index report shows Canada holding steady at number seven, a ranking it has held for the past three years. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the index report. In that time Canada has remained in the top 10 of powerful passports, with the number of countries Canadians can visit visa-free keeping it in the company of other high-mobility passports.
Canada reached a high of number two in 2014, and fell to its lowest (number nine) repeatedly: in 2010 and 2011, and again in 2020 and 2021.
Singapore held on to its position as the world's most powerful passport with visa-free access to 192 destinations, while the United Arab Emirates is the biggest mover since January, climbing three places to join Japan and South Korea in 2nd place with access to 188 destinations. The U.S. is presently ranked at number 10. The index makes note that the U.S. is one of the only top rated-passports that still requires a visa to visit China.
Peacefulness and Passport Power
This year, the index compared passport mobility with the peacefulness of each country, as rated by the Global Peace Index, which also marks its 20th year. The findings show that on average, global mobility and passport power has risen. In 2026, passports entitled visa-free travel to an average of 108 destinations worldwide — up from just 58 when the Index was first launched in 2006. Global Peace, on the other hand, has fallen sharply. According to the Institute for Economics & Peace, the world is experiencing the “highest number of state-based conflicts since the Second World War,” with” global peacefulness declining for the 12th consecutive year.”
This year, 119 countries are rated as less peaceful than they were in 2008, while 103 have been involved in an external conflict over the past five years, which is almost double the number as when the Index began.
In many cases, peacefulness and passport power are linked, with the citizens of war-torn countries holding less ability to travel visa-free. Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, creator of the Henley Passport Index explains, "Twenty years of data show that passport power is one of the clearest expressions of a country's geopolitical capital. It reflects far more 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."
This is not always the case. The report notes the U.S and Israel as outliers. “Despite the US ranking in the bottom fifth of the Global Peace Index and Israel among the world's five least peaceful nations, both retain exceptionally powerful passports,” the report states. “As tensions with Iran and instability across the Middle East once again dominate headlines, they show passport power reflects far more than peacefulness.”
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