Got Passport?

According to Forbes, 42% of Americans possess passports, compared to some other countries such as Canada and the U.K., where 66% and 76% of those countries' populations, respectively, have them.  Still, this is a marked increase among U.S. citizens from 1990, when just four percent held passports.  This accelerated growth is attributable in part to changes in travel restrictions in the post 9/11 environment that since January 2007 have required U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and several other countries to possess valid passports, which were not necessary prior to that time.