Henley Passport Index Sees Value of U.S. Passport Drop

The value of a U.S. passport has dropped to its lowest level in 20 years, according to Henley & Partners' Henley Passport Index. The U.S. passport is currently ranked as the 12th most valuable passport in the world, valued the same as a passport from Malaysia. For context, in 2014, a U.S. passport was the number 1 most valuable in the world.

Here is a key part of their writeup:

The loss of visa-free access to Brazil in April due to a lack of reciprocity, and the US being left out of China’s rapidly expanding visa-free list, marked the start of its downward slide. This was followed by adjustments from Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, which further eroded the US score while boosting other passports. Most recently, Somalia’s launch of a new eVisa system and Vietnam’s decision to exclude the US from its latest visa-free additions delivered the final blow, pushing it out of the Top 10.

The man behind the Henley Passport Index--Dr. Christian H. Kaelin--states that the decline in the value of the U.S. passport "signals a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics. Nations that embrace openness and cooperation are surging ahead, while those resting on past privilege are being left behind.”