The United States has named the world's top 10 most powerful passports for the first time, dropping to 12th place in the latest Henley Passport Index as Asian nations solidify their dominance in global travel freedom.
American citizens now share visa-free access to 180 destinations with Malaysia, a significant decline from their top position in 2014 and continuing a decade-long slide in global mobility ranking.
Singapore maintains the world's most powerful passport with access to 193 countries, followed by South Korea, 190 while Japan to 189.
The US descent stems from recent policy changes including Brazil's withdrawal of visa-free access and Vietnam's exclusion of Americans from its latest visa-free additions.
China's strategic openness agreements have propelled it 30 places since 2015, now ranking 64th with 37 additional visa-free destinations.
Henley & Partners chairman Christian Kaelin expressed: “The US decline is signaling a fundamental shift in global mobility and soft power dynamics, nations embracing cooperation are advancing while others relying on past privilege are being left behind."
The United Arab Emirates represents the index's most dramatic climber, rising 34 places to 8th position through strategic visa agreements.
The UK passport also fell to its lowest-ever position at 8th, while Afghanistan remains at the bottom with access to only 24 destinations.
The growing 169-destination gap between top and bottom rankings highlights widening global mobility disparities as nations increasingly use visa policies as diplomatic tools reflecting international relationships and reciprocity standards.