By Huzefa Aliasger, Courtesy The Daily Mirror

• Sri Lankan passport drops to 97th in global ranking within six months
• Sri Lankans have visa free access to only 18 percent of the world
• Passport power ranks 173 out 179 countries, below North Korea

Colombo, Sept. 18 (Daily Mirror) – The Sri Lankan passport which ranked at 91 among 105 countries dropped a further 6 spots since March this year to 97, further weakening the standing of Sri Lankan passport holders to travel to other countries.

Sri Lanka currently shares the 97th position with Iran which is currently facing sanctions from the United States. Just below at the 99th position is Palestine which is currently under a humanitarian crisis, and North Korea run by dictatorship.

According to the latest Henley Passport Index 2025 Global Ranking, Sri Lanka showed progress as it climbed the previous rank of 96 to 91 earlier this year, showing an improvement in the ranking from 2024. Decline in ranking indicates lower recognition for Sri Lankan passport holders during international travel.

However in the latest update, within six months, the country has slipped to 97th, one place lower than its 2024 position, with a visa-free score of 41, compared to 42 destinations previously.

Throughout its history Sri Lanka ranked highest in 2006 with a passport ranking of 74.

The current 91st position has been taken by Djibouti, a country in East Africa. Currently the countries that Sri Lanka ranks above are Sudan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Libya, North Korea, Palestinian, Nepal, Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

Singapore continues to hold the top spot as the world’s most powerful passport, followed by South Korea and Japan. Singapore has visa free access to 84 percent of the world and faces little to no difficulty in obtaining visas for countries that require them too.

The Henley Passport Index evaluates passports worldwide based on the number of destinations their holders can enter without a prior visa. The Henley Passport Index, widely recognized as the most authoritative ranking of global mobility, assesses 199 passports against 227 destinations.

Another measure of passport power is the Henley passport power index combining Henley Passport Index data and World Bank GDP data which shows the link between passport strength and economic power shows Sri Lanka currently is at 173 out of 179 countries, with countries like North Korea, Palestine and Iraq above in the scale.