Relevance: Prelims/Mains: G.S paper II: International
- The latest edition of the Henley Passport Index, widely acknowledged to be the most reliable of such rankings, was released recently.
Methodology:
- According to Henley and Partners, the residence and citizenship planning firm that publishes the ranking, the Index lists the world’s passports “according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa”.
- The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade association of some 290 airlines, including all major carriers.
The index includes 199 different passports and 227 different travel destinations. The data are updated in real time as and when visa policy changes come into effect.
Key findings:
- Japan has been topping the Index for three straight years; according to the 2020 index, its citizens are able to access 191 destinations without having to obtain a visa in advance.
- Singapore is in second place. Germany and South Korea are ranked at No. 3.
- Afghanistan, at rank 107, has the world’s weakest passport.
- The Indian passport is ranked 84th in the world. It was ranked higher in both 2019 (82 rank) and 2018 (ranked at 81). Since the index began in 2006, the Indian passport has ranked in a band of 71st to 88th.
