International rankings suggest Canadian passport continues to lose power

The new Canadian passport is unveiled at an event at the Ottawa International Airport in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Canada’s passport continues to lose power compared to other countries, according to the latest global passport ranking data.

At last tally by the Henley Passport Index (HPI), a Canadian passport scored 184 points, meaning it allows travellers to visit that many global destinations out of a possible 227 without needing a visa.

Canada is tied with Estonia and the United Arab Emirates for the eighth-strongest passport in the world, down from seventh, when the index was last updated.

Since the beginning of the year, Canada’s passport dropped an additional point, now totalling four points lost in the last decade, according to the index.

The HPI regularly ranks 199 passports globally, drawing on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Alongside Venezuela, the United States, Vanuatu and the United Kingdom — Canada is among the countries with the fastest falling scores, according to the latest data published on July 22.

According to a release from Henley and Partners, who manages the index, this represents a broader trend.

“Traditional mobility champions are losing ground in an increasingly multi-polar world,” the release notes.

“As emerging economies liberalize their visa regimes and invest in diplomatic capital, legacy powers like the U.K. and the U.S. appear to be retreating behind more restrictive entry policies.”

The U.K. and U.S. have also dropped a ranking each in the global passport leaderboards since January, to sixth and 10th, respectively.

The two countries were once the most powerful passports in the world — with the U.K. taking the top spot in 2015 and the U.S. doing so the year before.

Now, the U.S. is on the verge of exiting the top 10 list for the first time in the index’s 20-year history.

Singapore, Japan and South Korea are currently in the top three spots, with 15 European countries following after.

According to the report, the Asia-Pacific region is a leading driver of global travel. Demand for air travel saw 5.8 per cent growth over the first five months of 2025 worldwide, with some regional variations, while Asia-Pacific airlines saw 9.5 per cent growth, they note.

“Your passport is no longer just a travel document — it’s a reflection of your country’s diplomatic influence and international relationships,” Dr. Juerg Steffen, Chief Executive Officer at Henley & Partners, said in the release.

“In an era of growing inequality and mounting geopolitical uncertainty, strategic mobility and citizenship planning are more critical than ever.”