South African passport has slipped one spot, now ranking 53rd globally, in the latest Henley Passport Index for 2024.
The index, released last week, indicates a slight decrease from the previous year’s 52nd position. South Africans can currently travel to 108 out of 227 destinations worldwide without a visa.
The Henley Passport Index, the leading and definitive ranking of global passports based on visa-free access, relies on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and is further enriched by research from Henley & Partners’ team. In its inaugural release in 2006, South Africa held the 37th position in the index.
An unprecedented six countries share the top spot in this year’s edition.
Four EU member states – France, Germany, Italy, and Spain – join Japan and Singapore in boasting the most powerful passports in the world, with their citizens able to visit 194 destinations.
The two Asian nations have dominated 1st place on the index for the past five years.
Dr Christian Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index concept, says although the general trend over the history of the 19-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than ever.
“The average number of destinations travellers can access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 111 in 2024. However, as we enter the new year, the top-ranked countries are now able to travel to a staggering 166 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan, which sits at the bottom of the ranking with access to just 28 countries without a visa.”
South Korea now ranks alongside Finland and Sweden in second place, offering visa-free travel to 193 destinations. Four EU nations—Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands—share third place with access to 192 destinations.
The Top 10 is predominantly European, with the UK climbing two ranks to fourth place, boasting visa-free access to 191 destinations, compared to 188 the previous year. Australian and New Zealand passport holders improved their ranking to sixth place with 189 visa-free destinations, while the US maintains its seventh place, providing access to 188 destinations without a prior visa.
It has been a decade since the UK and the US jointly held the first place on the index in 2014.
Biggest climbers and fallers
Over the past decade, the UAE has made the most significant ascent on the index, increasing its visa-free score by 106 destinations since 2014. This progress catapulted it from the fifty-fifth to the eleventh position, a leap of 44 places.
Ukraine and China also stand out among the Top 5 nations with the most improved rankings in the past decade, each gaining a net total of 21 places. Both countries further advanced by two ranks in the last year, with Ukraine now at 32 with 148 visa-free destinations, and China at 62 with access to 85 destinations without a prior visa (compared to 44 in 2014).
Meanwhile, Russia, despite a net gain of 24 destinations over the past decade, has maintained a relatively stable visa-free score and ranking since 2017, currently standing at 51 with access to 119 destinations.
Key global mobility and migration trends
In the Henley Global Mobility Report 2024 Q1, Misha Glenny, a journalist and author, advises preparing for increased uncertainty in the new year. With 40 countries, constituting over 50% of global GDP, undergoing decisive elections, including the US and other major powers, geopolitical trends may heighten the risk of potential shocks to an already precarious economic environment. Despite this, a steady general trend is noted, characterized by a decline in American and European influence and a power shift among Asian nations.
Annie Pforsheimer, a former career diplomat with the US Department of State and a senior non-resident associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, highlights immigration as a persistent and challenging issue in American politics. The US faces the prospect of long-delayed immigration reforms due to concerns about uncontrolled migration through Mexico.
Dr Hannah White, director for the Institute for Government, notes that immigration is a highly salient political issue in the UK, especially with the upcoming general election. The country has experienced unprecedented inward migration following the introduction of its post-Brexit migration regime, posing challenges for the governing Conservative party, which had committed to reducing annual net migration to under a quarter of a million in its 2019 election manifesto.
In the Middle East, Dr Rober Mogielnicki, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, expresses optimism despite the devastating effects of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Governments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region aim to sustain the economic momentum of 2023 in the year ahead. The GCC’s plan to establish a Schengen-like visa system and enhance regional mobility through the Unified Tourist Visa project is seen as a crucial example of subregional integration and connectivity, particularly benefiting smaller Gulf states like Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.
