Nigeria moves up in global passport ranking, secures top space
A new ranking by Henley and Partners has placed Nigeria at 92nd on the list of countries with the most powerful passports.
The report, released on Tuesday, draws from exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Nigeria’s position has shifted notably over the past year. In July 2023, the country was ranked 90th but has since fallen to 97th place, behind several African nations including Burundi, Cameroon, and Liberia.
The latest ranking sees Nigeria tied with Lebanon and Myanmar, with visa-free access to 45 destinations.
In the context of African countries, Nigeria ranks sixth lowest, surpassing only South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Libya, and Somalia.
Seychelles leads African countries with the highest global ranking, holding 24th place with access to 156 countries. Mauritius has climbed to 28th position, previously at 29th, with access to 150 countries. South Africa ranks third in Africa and 47th globally, with access to 106 countries.
On the global stage, Singapore maintains its top position with visa-free access to 195 destinations, an increase of three from the previous year.
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain share the second spot with access to 193 destinations. Austria, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Sweden are ranked third, with access to 191 destinations.
Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are in fourth place with access to 190 destinations. Canada, along with the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Malta, holds the seventh spot, while the United States is eighth with access to 186 destinations.
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At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan remains in last place with visa-free access to just 26 countries, followed by Syria with 28 and Iraq with 31—marking them as having the weakest passports globally.
Top 10 ranking of most powerful passports in the world
Singapore – 1st
France – 2nd
Germany – 2nd
Italy – 2nd
Japan – 2nd
Spain – 2nd
Austria – 3rd
Finland – 3rd
Ireland – 3rd
Luxembourg – 3rd
Netherlands – 3rd
South Korea – 3rd
Sweden – 3rd
Belgium – 4th
Denmark – 4th
New Zealand – 4th
Norway – 4th
Switzerland – 4th
United Kingdom – 4th
Australia – 5th
Portugal – 5th
Greece – 6th
Poland – 6th
Canada – 7th
Czechia – 7th
Hungary – 7th
Malta – 7th
United States – 8th
Estonia – 9th
Lithuania – 9th
United Arab Emirates – 9th
Iceland – 10th
Latvia – 10th
Slovakia – 10th
Slovenia – 10th
