Finland Tops 2026 Happy Passports Index as Singapore Ranks Tenth Despite Passport Strength

Study covering 50 countries compares freedom of movement, life satisfaction and personal freedoms, with the UAE ranking 23rd and Saudi Arabia 41st overall.

Finland has topped the 2026 Happy Passports Index with a score of 93.2 out of 100, while Singapore ranked tenth despite holding the strongest passport among the countries included in the study, according to a report released by Global Citizen Solutions on November 10.

The index offers a different perspective from traditional passport rankings by combining international mobility with life satisfaction, personal freedoms, and economic, health and safety conditions.

Iceland ranked second with a score of 92.4, followed by Denmark at 92.1, Norway at 89.3 and Switzerland at 88.3.

Sweden placed sixth, followed by the Netherlands, New Zealand and Austria, while Singapore completed the top ten with a score of 82.8.

The study assessed 50 selected countries across four equally weighted dimensions, each accounting for 25% of the overall score.

The findings showed that Singapore led the countries surveyed in passport strength, income levels and healthy life expectancy.

However, it ranked 23rd in well-being and 30th in domestic freedom.

By contrast, New Zealand secured eighth place overall despite ranking only 25th in income.

The United Kingdom ranked 17th, while Portugal placed 21st, highlighting the differences between passport strength and life satisfaction.

Among Arab countries, the United Arab Emirates ranked 23rd overall, while Saudi Arabia placed 41st.

Saudi Arabia ranked 16th in life satisfaction, demonstrating a notable difference between its performance in this individual category and its overall composite score, which also considers international mobility, freedoms and living conditions.

The study highlights that access to a large number of international destinations is an important advantage for passport holders, but it does not necessarily translate into greater satisfaction with life.

Lead researcher Dr. Laura Madrid noted that, among high-income countries, happiness was more strongly associated with freedom than with passport strength.

For travellers, international mobility indicators remain useful for understanding differences in travel access between nationalities.

However, actual travel decisions still require checking the destination's current entry requirements, visa regulations and applicable border procedures.

It is also important to distinguish between this composite index, which measures characteristics of countries and their populations, and the actual visitor experience, which the study does not directly assess.