The World Happiness Report, last published in March 2024, has a new leader—the same as six years before—this is Finland. This is a small Scandinavian country partially lying beyond the Polar Circle, not the biggest or wealthiest one, to say nothing of the cold climate. So why has Finland been admitted as the happiest country for seven years in a row? In this article, we'll try to give you the answer to this question.
According to Finland's prime minister, the country offers people a welfare model that enables everyone to have a good life. This is called welfare state generosity. Finland (like other Nordic countries) pays much attention (and money) to the social safety net—the social protection and health care system. The focus is on the benefits of the whole community, not just of the individuals receiving services.
Social protection manifests itself in supporting the poor, the disabled, the homeless, and the unemployed—so good are welfare services that members of these social groups possess nearly the same satisfaction level as wealthy citizens. For instance, the homeless in Finland immediately receive a proper apartment, so in nine years' time (2009 to 2018), homelessness fell by 35 percent.
According to a survey conducted in 2022, 70% of Finns are content with their health care. Here, healthcare is not a privilege but a right accessible to everyone. Therefore, Finland is also among the top 5 countries with the lowest mortality rate and its population has one of the longest life expectancies.
Finland is also known to be one of the most gender-equal societies worldwide, with nearly half of Parliament's members being women. Moreover, in 1906, Finland was one of the first countries to enable women to vote.
The country is family-friendly, with the biggest parental leave allowances worldwide. The family leave programme includes 40 working days' allowance for pregnant women and 160 days of leave for child guardians, whether biological or adoptive. Thus, Finland may be called one of the best countries for raising children.
Finland is the land caring for its environment, which is manifested through their policy. It aims to become carbon-neutral by the year 2035. It also has the lowest air pollution among the countries included in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development).
Education is another strong point of Finland, as the country prioritises vocational programmes, beginning with elementary school through universities and colleges. More than 65% of Finnish students obtain free education, while only 2% attend private institutions. This means graduates have fewer graduation debts and can pursue their goals immediately after graduation.
The feeling of security defines the concept of Finnish happiness. Security naturally arises from trust in the government, media, and each other. Social trust also makes people more resilient to national crises. According to the World Happiness Report (WHR), social cohesion has three dimensions: connectedness to other people, good social relations, and a focus on the common good. Together, these components promote the feeling of well-being.
Income equality is also the key to a happy society, and Finland, like other Nordic countries, has a low level of inequality. Life satisfaction lowers when inequality leads to lower trust and higher anxiety because of the lack of economic or social opportunities. Inequality, especially in Europe, is negatively related to happiness, though the effect may not be the same in other parts of the world.
Freedom of choice, or autonomy, is connected to a subjective concept of well-being and influences this even more than, for example, national wealth. Multiple studies, such as the World Values Survey, which uses data from 1981 to 2007, have proven this. More liberal cultural values allow citizens to express themselves more freely, promoting creativity and social solidarity.
As it turns out, it is not only individuals who are responsible for their happiness, but the state, too, must take steps to improve the lives of its citizens and «build a happy society». Life satisfaction rests upon many factors, such as the quality of institutions (extensive welfare benefits, low corruption, well-functioning state institutions and democracy), sense of autonomy and freedom, and high level of social trust (information taken from the site world happiness.report). Overall, the rest of the world has some lessons to learn from Finland.
If you would like to visit Finland and experience its life firsthand, you are welcome to do so! Hotelin.com provides you with the opportunity to find accommodation, whatever your requirements. We wish you happy travels to the happiest country in the world!
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