Bangladesh Ranks 166th in Global Passport Index

File photo of Bangladeshi passport. Photo: collected

Bangladesh has been ranked 166th in the Global Passport Index (GPI) 2026, placing behind most of its South Asian neighbours in a global assessment that measures passport strength based on mobility, investment opportunities and quality of life.

According to the index, Bangladeshi passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 17 countries. They can also travel visa-free or obtain a visa on arrival in destinations including Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, the Bahamas, Dominica, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Grenada and The Gambia.

However, travellers carrying Bangladeshi passports still require visas to enter around 116 destinations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China and Japan.

Among South Asian countries, the Maldives achieved the region's highest ranking at 107th, followed by India (125th), Bhutan (132nd), Sri Lanka (141st) and Nepal (164th). Bangladesh ranked ahead of only Pakistan (188th) and Afghanistan, which remained at the bottom of the global list.

Sweden topped the 2026 index with a score of 96.05 out of 100, followed by Switzerland, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. European countries occupied nine of the top 10 positions, while Singapore was the only non-European nation in the top 10, ranking 10th.

At the bottom of the index, Afghanistan was ranked last, followed by Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and Syria.

Published by international residency and citizenship advisory firm Global Citizen Solutions, the 2026 index evaluated 197 countries and territories using 14 indicators.

Unlike traditional passport rankings that focus mainly on visa-free travel, the Global Passport Index assesses passports across three weighted pillars: Enhanced Mobility (50%), Investment (25%) and Quality of Life (25%).

The methodology also considers factors such as healthcare, economic competitiveness, safety, taxation, climate and social infrastructure in determining the overall ranking.