Maryland professor: Saint Kitts and Dominica among the passports that will matter this decade

The World Citizenship Report 2026, published by CS Global Partners on 14 January 2026, cites analysis by Professor Emeritus John Rennie Short of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County on which citizenships will matter in the emerging multipolar world order. Professor Short identifies the passports likely to count for most over the coming decade as those of the United States, Switzerland and Singapore, along with backup options such as Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Commonwealth of Dominica.

A view of the multipolar order

In Professor Short’s analysis for the report, the global dominance the United States has held since 1945 has come to an end, and the world is moving into a new multipolar reality. He identifies two main causes. The first is the rise of China and, in the longer term, of powers such as India and Brazil. The second is the American withdrawal from international institutions.

The report cites Professor Short’s view that valuable passports are those offering a certain degree of economic and military security, within which Caribbean states such as Saint Kitts and Nevis and Dominica serve as important backup options.

How Saint Kitts and Nevis and Dominica rank in the report

In the overall World Citizenship Report 2026 table, Saint Kitts and Nevis scores 63.2 points and ranks 52nd. The Commonwealth of Dominica scores 61.0 points and ranks 63rd.

On the Safety and Security pillar, Saint Kitts and Nevis scores 69.8 points (58th) and Dominica 70.0 points (57th). On Global Mobility, Saint Kitts and Nevis scores 68.2 points (35th) and Dominica 67.3 points (37th). On Financial Freedom, Saint Kitts and Nevis scores 62.4 points (43rd) and Dominica 58.1 points (55th).

The mass affluent survey

The World Citizenship Report 2026 records that, in its survey of 546 mass affluent individuals, around 15% currently hold two citizenships and 5% hold three or more. Business and career opportunity heads the list of motivations for seeking a second citizenship at 29.9%, followed by investment diversification (24.5%) and tax efficiency (22.3%).

Asked about future scenarios, participants placed family security and generational protection first. Emergency and contingency planning came second. Asset and legacy protection came third.

A view on regional flashpoints

The report cites Professor Short’s view that Western and Israeli assessments of Iran’s regional influence may be overstating the scale of the threat. On his account, Tehran poses a genuine threat to Israel, but he questions whether that justifies a global response. He argues that American-Israeli superiority is currently confined to air power, and that dominating Iran would require a large-scale military occupation that American public opinion is unlikely to support.

CS Global Partners and its Caribbean mandates

According to the About section of the report, CS Global Partners was founded in London in 2012 and is headquartered in Mayfair. The firm currently holds exclusive marketing and advisory mandates for two Caribbean governments, the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.