The US passport has fallen to 10th place in the latest Henley Passport Index, despite having jointly topped the ranking with Denmark and Finland two decades ago. The decline matters because the index measures visa-free travel access, a marker of citizens’ practical mobility and, more broadly, international relations and soft power.

US passport holders can enter 180 destinations without obtaining a visa in advance, while Singapore, ranked first, has access to 192. The United States permits visa-free entry to citizens of only 46 nationalities, placing it 73rd for openness; 36 countries now rank ahead of it, while the UAE has gained 153 visa-free destinations since 2006.