India has been placed 125th in the newly released 2026 Global Passport Index, showing a stark contrast to its stronger 80th-place position on the travel-focused Henley Passport Index. While Henley measures raw visa-free travel freedom, this broader index by Global Citizen Solutions evaluates nearly 200 countries across a comprehensive composite score that factors in global mobility, investment opportunities, and local quality of life.
How the index is built
The Global Passport Index uses 14 indicators from organisations such as the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. Enhanced Mobility has the highest weight at 50 percent and measures visa-free and visa-on-arrival access. Investment Potential accounts for 25 percent and looks at economic opportunities. Quality of Living makes up the remaining 25 percent and includes factors such as healthcare, stability and infrastructure.
Where India falls short
India’s category scores help explain its overall ranking. Its mobility ranking is around 135th, while its quality-of-life ranking is 118th. India performs better in mobility than in the broader quality-of-life and investment categories, which have a major impact on the final score.
Sweden leads, Europe dominates
Sweden ranks first in the 2026 index with a score of 96.05 out of 100. Switzerland and Finland are placed second and third. Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Norway are also in the top 10. Most of the highest-ranked countries are in Europe. Singapore is the only non-European country in the top 10, taking 10th place due to its strong mobility and investment scores. The gap between Sweden and Afghanistan, which is ranked last with a score of 23.10, has increased every year since 2021.
A different picture on Henley’s Index
India performs much better on the Henley Passport Index. This ranking measures only visa-free and visa-on-arrival access using IATA data. India is ranked around 80th and has access to about 56 destinations without needing a traditional visa before travel. Its ranking has moved between 75th and 80th during 2026 and has been tied at times with countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Singapore also tops the Henley Passport Index, while Japan and South Korea share second place.
Two indices, two stories
The difference between India’s ranking of 125th and 80th comes down to methodology. The Henley Passport Index focuses only on travel freedom. The Global Passport Index also considers investment opportunities and quality of life. Because of these broader factors, India’s overall score is lower. However, both rankings show that India’s global mobility has improved gradually, helped by new visa agreements and stronger international ties.
