Iraqi passport occupies before final position according to Henley& Partners Best Passport Ranking

Henley & Partners monitors global visa regulations and analyzes the changes from year to year. The firm believes that in a globalized world “visa restrictions are an important tool for governments to control the movement of foreign nationals across borders.”

In the report, produced in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association, Henley & Partners ranked citizens’ visa-free access to other countries as of July 2013 on a 219-point scale. The United States’ total score of 172, for example, means that U.S. passport holders may enter 172 countries and territories without a visa, a marked increase from 2012.

Citizens of Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg can also enter 172 countries and territories, though it’s citizens of Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom who, with a score of 173, edge out all others to have the best passports for global travel. Rounding out the top tier are Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands at 171, followed by Canada, France, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Portugal and Spain at 170.

On the flipside, passport holders of Kosovo (38), Lebanon (38), Sri Lanka (38), Sudan (38), Nepal (37), Eritrea (36), Palestinian Territory (36), Pakistan (32), Somalia (32) and Iraq (31) have the least visa-free travel options among all countries and territories surveyed, save those whose passports were issued in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghani passport holders can only visit 13 percent of the world, or just 28 countries, free of formalities.

In general, passport holders in North America and Europe have the most freedom of travel, while passport holders in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia have the least.

“This global ranking reflects the international freedom of travel for the passport holders of various nations, [but also] the international relations and status of individual countries relative to others,” Henley & Partners said. Thus, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and India have skyrocketed up the list in recent years as their international relations evolve. Venezuela, Zimbabwe, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda also climbed several spots in the 2013 ranking after striking agreements with other countries.

Chinese tourists, however, still encounter major red tape when planning trips abroad. Though they’re one of the most sought-after groups for tourism boards around the world just 44 countries offer visa-free entry, placing China directly below Vietnam and tied with Cameroon, Congo, Jordan and Rwanda in terms of freedom of travel.