The Swedish passport has been ranked as the best in the world for travellers, based on the number of countries Swedes can visit without a visa. Sweden shared the number one place with the UK and Finland, according to an index by Henley & Partners, a consultancy in residence and citizenship planning.

Each of the top three passports scored 173 in the rankings, meaning they can be used to enter 173 countries and territories without a visa.

The worst passport is from Afghanistan with a score of just 28, closely followed by Iraq (31), Somalia and Pakistan (32 each).

The annual 2013 Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index ranks countries according to the number of nations their citizens can access with just a passport. The results show that membership of the European Union is a key determinant of ease of movement across frontiers.