According to the latest update from the Passport Index, India’s Mobility Scores have decreased, resulting in the country experiencing the largest global drop on the Index this year. Before the pandemic in 2019, India had a mobility score of 71, which increased to 73 in 2022 as the post-pandemic wave of increasing mobility took effect. However, as of March 2023, its mobility score has dropped to 70. This decline has occurred despite record increases in mobility as the global and national economies re-opened after the pandemic. India’s ranking has fallen by six places in 2023, resulting in an individual ranking of 144 compared to 138 in 2022.
Key points of the Passport Index
- The Passport Index has released its latest update, which reveals that India’s Mobility Score has dropped. Other large Asian economies such as Vietnam, Indonesia, China, and Thailand have also experienced declines in their mobility scores, indicating a missed opportunity to capitalize on the global uptick in mobility recorded last year.
- India’s sharp decline has been linked to the European Union’s policy of introducing visa requirements for Indian nationals, placing pressure on countries like Serbia in 2023.
- China continues to underperform in comparison to countries like the USA and Germany due to its lack of visa-free agreements with blocs like the EU or regional competitors like India and Japan.
- South Korea and Japan are the exceptions to the downward trend in mobility, with both maintaining their strong positions. South Korea has the highest mobility score in Asia at 174 and is ranked 12th overall. Japan is ranked 26th with a mobility score of 172, making it the closest Asian competitor to South Korea.
- Only 10 countries have seen a rise in their mobility score this year, with Sweden overtaking Germany to rise to second overall. Kenya recorded the largest gain this year, jumping four places in the individual ranking, in line with the broader movements towards greater mobility in the African continent, where 40% of the ten countries showing mobility growth were African nations.
