Bangladesh, North Korea jointly rank 97th in Global Passport Index
Representational image. Collected.
Bangladesh has fallen another two places in the Global Passport Index. The country's current position is now 97th in the world, a drop of two places compared to the ranking published in January of this year.
The information was revealed in the 20th-anniversary edition (July 2026) of the Global Passport Index, published yesterday (Tuesday) by Henley & Partners, a London-based citizenship and residency advisory firm. Previously, in the Passport Index published on January 13 of this year, Bangladesh was ranked 95th.
The index is compiled based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). According to the rules and methodology of the Henley Passport Index, a total of 199 countries' passports and 227 travel destinations worldwide are considered to generate this global ranking.
The report stated that in this latest index, Bangladesh shares the same ranking jointly with North Korea.
Bangladeshi passport holders can currently travel to only 35 countries and territories without prior authorization or an advance visa, which is largely limited to specific countries in Asia and Africa. Below Bangladesh, Nepal is in 98th position, followed by Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria.
Among the countries included in the index, Afghanistan remains at the very bottom, in 104th place.
Meanwhile, Singapore has once again retained the top spot as the world's most powerful passport, as its citizens enjoy visa-free or on-arrival access to 192 destinations.
On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made the biggest jump since January, climbing three places to reach second position, jointly with Japan and South Korea, offering access to 188 destinations.
Analysis of the index shows that when it was launched in 2006, the United States was in first place and the United Kingdom was in third. However, 20 years later, the US has dropped to 10th place, while the UK has fallen to 6th. Although European countries still hold the top ranks, increased competition has broadened the scope of the top 10. In contrast to 26 passports in 2006, the current top 10 now includes 38 passports.
Sweden ranks third. Meanwhile, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain are jointly in fourth place.
