Previously ranked top 10 by the Passport index, it has fallen seven places to 17th. This is largely due to the investment opportunities within New Zealand and high cost of living.
While New Zealand scored highly for mobility and was ranked 10th overall for quality of life index, it was let down by the investment appeal. New Zealand placed 34th for Investment Index, which the was described as a “general assessment of a country’s economy” based on personal income, business opportunities and GNI per capita.
The ranking showed that market size and labour were shown as limiting factors for the passport’s investment score and cost of living was “very high”.
Germany, meanwhile, scored highly across the board.
The United States, the previous year’s top passport, scored poorly in quality of life (39th) but overall passport “power” was improved by its value on the investment index, placing third.
There are a number of different passport rankings such as the Henley Passport Index, which rates passports by the number of countries offering reciprocal visa-free travel. The Henley Index scored New Zealand more favourably, placing the document sixth overall.
However the Global Passport Index says it differs from others by creating a score based on multiple factors that contribute to a citizenship’s overall appeal.
“Our Global Passport Index is a valuable tool for anyone looking to make an informed decision about a second citizenship or simply considering relocation temporarily or permanently to another country,” said Patricia Casaburi, chief executive of Global Citizen Solutions.
The score aims to reflect nationalities’ access to travel, investment opportunities and quality of life indicators.
Global Passport Index Top 10 Passports
1. Germany
2. The United States
3. Sweden
4. Denmark
5. The Netherlands
6. Finland
7. The United Kingdom
8. Canada
9. Norway
10. Switzerland
Source: Global Citizen Solutions
