I read an interesting thing about the global rankings this week. Apparently, Kuwait really dominates when it comes to the most expensive currency in the world – the Kuwaiti dinar is clearly in the lead, followed by the Bahraini dinar and the Omani rial. It’s crazy how small Gulf countries control the top of the strong currency rankings.

But here’s the weird part: it’s not at all the same countries that have the most powerful passports. Singapore, South Korea, and Japan lead in visa-free mobility. Then you have all the European countries – Germany, France, Spain, Italy – just behind. The United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands are also very well placed.

What surprised me is that the United States, despite its strong dollar, doesn’t have the most powerful passport in the world. Same for Switzerland with the Swiss franc – an excellent currency, but the Swiss passport is less “free” in terms of visa-free access than Singapore’s or Japan’s.

So in summary: you can have the most expensive currency in the world without having the best passport for travel, and vice versa. It’s a good reminder that economic strength and freedom of movement are two different things.