A powerful passport might make it easier to see the world, but does it actually make you happier? A new ranking of 50 countries suggests the two don't always go hand in hand – but, often, they do.
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The research behind the ranking, published by Global Citizen Solutions, a migration firm offering second residency and citizenship solutions, looked at 50 countries and how happy their residents are, how free they are at home, how far their passports travel and how well they live.
These cover everything from how people rate their lives and the civil liberties they enjoy to passport access, income, life expectancy and peace. The idea is to measure not just how easily people can travel, but how happy and free they are where they live.
All those factors added up to a score out of 100 in the Happy Passports Index ranking – and here’s what it shows.
Nordic nations come out on top
The Nordic nations are famous for the happiness of their residents, so it’s little surprise that they all come near the very top of the ranking.
Finland leads with 93.2 out of 100, and is closely followed by Iceland, with a score of 92.4 and Denmark, which was awarded 92.1.
Norway is in fourth, and Sweden comes in sixth place, with scores of 89.3 and 88.2, respectively.
Switzerland, another very wealthy nation with happy residents who boast strong passports, was in fifth, with a score of 88.3
Wealth and strong passports don’t necessarily mean a high placement in the ranking, though.
For instance, Singapore has the highest income and the longest healthy life expectancy as well as the strongest passport in the sample, but it only comes in at 10th place, held back by its wellbeing (23rd) and freedom at home (30th) scores.
The UK has a strong passport, which gives holders wide travel access, but it ranks 29th of 50 both on people’s sense of freedom to make life choices and on civil liberties. That equals a placement of just 17th in the overall ranking.
“The happiest countries tend to hold strong passports, but not always,” said Dr Laura Madrid, Lead Researcher at Global Citizen Solutions. “Among wealthier countries, our briefing finds that happiness correlates far more strongly with freedom than with passport strength. That is because a passport offers something different: choice beyond the border.”
More mobile, but not necessarily happier
Among wealthier countries, the index found that freedom to make personal choices was much more closely linked to life satisfaction than either passport strength or income.
Malta, Portugal, Japan, Cyprus, Malaysia, Spain and Greece all score well for passport access and healthy life expectancy, but their residents report lower levels of happiness.
All seven rank higher overall than they do for life satisfaction alone.
Portugal is a particularly striking example, coming 21st in the overall index despite ranking 39th for how people rate their lives.
The index’s findings suggest, then, that being able to travel widely doesn't automatically make life better at home.
Why balance matters more than wealth
New Zealand, Australia and Malta all make the top half of the rankings across most measures, despite falling outside the top ten for both wealth and passport strength. New Zealand, for example, ranks just 25th for income but eighth overall.
The common factor is a fairly even performance across the different measures, rather than excelling in just one.
That’s particularly clear for Costa Rica, Uruguay, Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Israel and Saudi Arabia, which all score highly for life satisfaction despite having less powerful passports, underlining that travel freedom is only one part of the picture.
Happy Passports Index 2026: The top 10
Overall score out of 100, with individual pillar scores:
- 1. Finland – 93.2 (Wellbeing: 25.0; Freedom at Home: 24.1; Mobility: 24.5; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 19.5)
- 2. Iceland – 92.4 (Wellbeing: 23.2; Freedom at Home: 24.2; Mobility: 23.4; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 21.7)
- 3. Denmark – 92.1 (Wellbeing: 23.2; Freedom at Home: 23.9; Mobility: 24.5; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 20.5)
- 4. Norway – 89.3 (Wellbeing: 20.8; Freedom at Home: 23.9; Mobility: 24.2; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 20.3)
- 5. Switzerland – 88.3 (Wellbeing: 19.0; Freedom at Home: 23.1; Mobility: 24.1; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 22.1)
- 6. Sweden – 88.2 (Wellbeing: 20.9; Freedom at Home: 23.8; Mobility: 24.2; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 19.3)
- 7. Netherlands – 86.2 (Wellbeing: 20.7; Freedom at Home: 21.9; Mobility: 24.1; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 19.6)
- 8. New Zealand – 84.4 (Wellbeing: 18.8; Freedom at Home: 23.0; Mobility: 23.5; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 19.0)
- 9. Austria – 83.8 (Wellbeing: 17.6; Freedom at Home: 21.5; Mobility: 24.3; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 20.4)
- 10. Singapore – 82.8 (Wellbeing: 15.5; Freedom at Home: 18.5; Mobility: 25.0; Prosperity, Health & Safety: 23.8)