The most obvious effect of a weak passport is that it restricts travel options. Certain parts of Africa have seen a high prevalence of the passport issue. Strong passport-holding nations can enter many other nations without a visa or with one upon arrival, making travel easy for their citizens.
Citizens whose passports are weaker than others have difficulties applying for visas, they sometimes have to pay more for travel and have to wait longer to visit more destinations.
Furthermore, weaker passports might affect people and countries’ economies. Limiting travel can hinder the expansion of tourism industries by reducing the number of international tourists and their economic impact on host communities.
Moreover, those with limited options for travel could find it challenging to explore new markets, which would hinder entrepreneurial endeavors and the expansion of businesses.
Henley & Partners, a corporation focusing on residency and citizenship by investment, has updated its passport index since the first quarter of 2024.
The update shows that passport strength across the globe has fluctuated. When compared to the 10 African countries with the weakest passports in Q1 of 2024 published in January, there have been some notable changes and some persistence.
For example, Nigeria still has the weakest passport in Africa, however, its current index of 1.5% is slightly better than the 1.475% reported at the start of the year.
With that said, here are the weakest passports currently.
10 African countries with the weakest passports mid-way into 2024
| Rank | Country | Economic Mobility Score (Visa-Free Access to Global GDP) | Global Visa-Free Access (Out of 226 Destinations) | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Nigeria |
1.5% |
45 |
176th |
|
2. |
Somalia |
1.97% |
36 |
175th |
|
3. |
Libya |
2.17% |
40 |
173rd |
|
4. |
Sudan |
2.51% |
45 |
172nd |
|
5. |
South Sudan |
2.7% |
46 |
170th |
|
6. |
Eritrea |
2.86% |
43 |
169th |
|
7. |
Cameroon |
2.99% |
53 |
168th |
|
8. |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
3.1% |
47 |
167th |
|
9. |
Liberia |
3.21% |
51 |
165th |
|
10. |
Burundi |
3.27% |
51 |
164th |
