How the Pakistani Passport Ranking in 1947 Became 4th Worst by 2025

The Pakistani passport ranking in 2025 is now officially declared to be the fourth-worst Globally, according to the latest ranking of Henley Passport Index 2025. Pakistan ranked as the 103rd out of 106 countries in the Henley Global Mobility Report Q2 2025 alongside Yemen. The index is a measure of international mobility measured by using the International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, and its calculation is based on visa-free access or visa-on-arrival access.

Only Iraq (104th), Syria (105th), and Afghanistan (106th) rank lower than Pakistan. Travelers with a Pakistani passport are now able to visit only 31 destinations without a visa or with a visa-on-arrival, which is slightly lower than in earlier years.

Pakistan Passport Ranking Henley 2025

The Pakistan passport rating Henley report indicates that restricted diplomatic accessibility, world security worries, and financial unpredictability have maintained Pakistan mobility still. In the last ten years, Pakistan has recorded little improvement in its global ranking as over 80 other nations have made improvements.

  • Henley Rank 2025: 103rd out of 106
  • Access Without a Visa: 31 destinations.
  • Lower Countries: Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan.
  • Comparison to India: Indian passport is ranked number 82 and has access to 58 destinations.

Pakistani passport ranking in 2025 will continue to be one of the most unsatisfactory globally as a result of the current visa bans in Europe, North America, and Oceania. Other countries such as Maldives, Qatar, Mauritania and Somalia are the only ones that provide Pakistanis with visa-on-arrival.

Pakistani Passport Ranking in 1947

Going back to the Pakistani passport ranking in 1947, the difference is high. Even though there were no formal internationally recognized global indices such as Henley in 1947, historical evidence reveals that the initial passport in Pakistan provided extensive traveling liberty.

Pakistan has got independence in 1947 when its passport enjoyed the privileges of the Commonwealth membership and post-colonial travel deals. Citizens were able to make free travel to most countries, at times without prior arrival visas. As a matter of fact, there was no need to take passports to travel between India and Pakistan until 1949.

The Pakistani passport in 1947 would have been ranked probably as one of the top 30 in the world, with visa free or on arrival to more than 100 destinations in the 1950s-70s.

Decline Over the Decades

The deteriorating fact of the Pakistan passport rating Henley may be tracked to significant historical periods:

Year Henley Rank Visa-Free Access Notes
2006 79th ~45 Start of formal Henley data
2010 90th ~35 Security challenges impacted ranking
2015 103rd ~30 Mobility dropped sharply
2025 103rd 31 Fourth-worst globally

Some of the causes of this decline are geopolitical tensions, wars (1965, 1971), shifting visa policies and international post 9/11 security. In the 1980s and 1990s, the entry policies of Pakistani citizens in many Western countries have shifted significantly downwards, which was a definite decrease in mobility.

Pakistani Passport Ranking in 1947 vs 2025

Feature Pakistani Passport (1947) Pakistani Passport (2025)
Global Rank Among the strongest (top 30 estimated) 4th worst (Rank 103 on Henley Index)
Visa-Free Access Over 100 destinations (estimated) 31 destinations
Mobility High, especially across Commonwealth Very limited
Diplomatic Standing Supported by post-colonial ties Affected by global security concerns

The Pakistani passport ranking in 1947 was a symbol of new starts and goodwill in the world of diplomacy. In comparison, it is among the weakest in 2025, which shows the tendencies in the world and domestic issues.

Pakistan Passport Ranking 2025 in Global Mobility

Although there are minor differences among the various world indices, such as Arton Capital Passport Index, which ranks Pakistan 92 nd with accessibility of 45 locations, Henley Passport Index is the most plausible one. It still settles the ranking of Pakistani passport as the lowest in the world with limited access to the world and little diplomatic power.

The fact that the Pakistani passport ranking was among the most mobile and liberal passports in the world in 1947 and that it is now ranked the fourth-worst passport in the world in 2025 demonstrates a significant change in the Pakistani international status.

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