UAE among world's top 25 in 2026 Happy Passports Index

Dubai: The UAE has secured 23rd place in the 2026 Happy Passports Index, scoring 73.4 points out of 100 in a global ranking that assesses quality of life, personal freedoms, international mobility, prosperity, health and safety.

The index, published by international advisory firm Global Citizen Solutions, evaluated 50 countries, measuring not only the strength of their passports but also the living conditions and freedoms enjoyed by their residents.

The UAE recorded its strongest performance in international mobility, scoring 94.3 points, placing it among the countries with the highest levels of passport accessibility.

The country also scored 74 points for prosperity, health and safety, 69.8 points for wellbeing and 55.4 points for freedom at home.

The report placed the UAE among 18 countries that ranked in the upper half of the index for both life satisfaction and passport strength. The group includes several Nordic and Western European countries, alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States.

Researchers also found that UAE residents ranked ninth among the 50 countries surveyed in their perceived freedom to make personal life choices, although the country's civil liberties score was the second lowest in the sample.

The Happy Passports Index assesses countries across four equally weighted categories, each accounting for 25 per cent of the overall score.

The wellbeing category measures how residents evaluate their lives on a scale of zero to 10, while freedom at home examines both people's perceived ability to make personal choices and the civil liberties available to them.

International mobility assesses passport strength and access to foreign destinations, while the prosperity, health and safety category considers income per person, healthy life expectancy and levels of peace and security.

The ranking draws on seven indicators, with each country's performance converted to a score between zero and 100 relative to the other countries assessed. The results are then combined to produce an overall score.

Finland claimed first place with 93.2 points, followed by Iceland with 92.4 and Denmark with 92.1.

Norway ranked fourth with 89.3 points, followed by Switzerland with 88.3 and Sweden with 88.2.

The Netherlands, New Zealand, Austria and Singapore completed the top 10.

The findings suggest that while countries with strong passports often report higher levels of life satisfaction, international mobility alone does not necessarily translate into greater happiness.

The report found that among wealthier countries, personal freedom had a stronger association with life satisfaction than either passport strength or income.