The Arton Capital Passport Index has released its 2020 ranking of the world's most powerful passports and Canada has once again ranked as one of the strongest.
The ranking considers the freedom to travel and easily move around the world. According to the Passport Index, this is based on the number of countries that grant visa-free access to each passport holder. Passports are then ranked by their total visa-free score, as well as visas they may acquire upon arrival.
The index has of course shifted drastically this year as countries shut down borders and travel has become more complicated for countries across the globe. For example, the website says the pandemic has shrunk the World Openness Score by 65% resulting in a 56% drop in tourism globally.
New Zealand’s passport had previously held the number one spot alongside Japan, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, both countries have slipped into the number two spot. Now sitting in first place is Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, and South Korea.
Canada unfortunately dropped from fourth place to fifth, now ties with Malta, Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, and Hungary.
Here’s how Canada has ranked in the past:
2015 – sixth place, visa-free score of 153
2016 – sixth place, visa-free score of 152
2017 – fourth place, visa-free score of 158
2018 – fourth place, visa-free score of 158
2019 – fourth place, visa-free score of 164
****
You can find the complete results here.
