New Zealand’s passport has secured the eighth spot on the 2026 Happy Passports Index, outranking both the United Kingdom and the United States.
The country earned a total score of 84.4, standing as one of only two nations outside of Europe to crack the top ten, alongside Singapore.
Compiled by the migration firm Global Citizen Solutions, the index assesses 50 countries by moving beyond the standard focus on visa-free travel. Instead, it balances international mobility against quality-of-life indicators including personal freedom, prosperity, health, safety, and general wellbeing, according to 1News.
Finland claimed the top position with a score of 93.2, followed by Iceland and Denmark. New Zealand’s score was built on a distribution of 23.5 points for international mobility, 23 for freedom at home, 19 for both prosperity and health and safety, and 18.8 for wellbeing.
The rankings highlight a disconnect between travel power and life satisfaction. While Greece and Portugal hold passports providing significant international access, they ranked lower on measures of personal happiness. Conversely, countries such as Costa Rica and Israel recorded high happiness levels despite more limited travel options.
In comparison to New Zealand’s eighth-place finish, Australia placed 12th, the United Kingdom ranked 17th, and the United States followed in 28th place.
The findings suggest that for citizens of wealthier nations, domestic liberty drives happiness more than the number of countries accessible without a visa.
“Among wealthier countries, our briefing finds that happiness correlates far more strongly with freedom than with passport strength,” said Dr Laura Madrid, lead researcher at Global Citizen Solutions, as reported by 1News.
“That is because a passport offers something different: choice beyond the border,” said Dr Laura Madrid.
The 2026 Happy Passports Index serves as a ranking system that evaluates 50 nations by combining traditional travel power with metrics such as personal freedom, health, and prosperity.
New Zealand’s higher standing relative to the US and UK is attributed to its performance in domestic wellbeing, health and safety, and personal freedom metrics, which outweighed the international mobility advantages held by larger global powers.