Finland: the Happiest Country in the World for 2019

Happy International Day of Happiness! Today, we celebrate happiness and the global happiness movement. This Day of Happiness has been introduced back in 2013 and its father is the famous philanthropist, activist, statesman and prominent UN special advisor Jamie Illien. Thumbs up!

On this occasion today, the UN has also published the World Happiness Report 2019, a yearly report that ranks more than 150 countries in terms of their happiness.

Guess what! Finland has remained the Happiest Country in the World, for the 2nd year in a row. Well done, Finland! But how come? What is the reason why Finland outperformed all other countries in terms of its people happiness?

This is what the Finns absolutely adore! But these may not be the sole reasons behind their happiness, after all. Many claim the education system in Finland is one of the best (if not the best) in the world. Happy pupils equal happy adults and citizens.

Free healthcare and other social welfare benefits also play a role in providing equal opportunities for all and creating a safety net. If you feel safe and that the state and society will be able to take care of you when in need, this is very liberating and contributes to lower life stress and more overall happiness.

Is it only that? No! According to the report, there are six factors that determine a country’s ranking. Among them are the income and healthy life expectancy. Finland scores top there. There are four more social factors though, that are of most interest to look at.

The other factors that Finland scores high are social support, freedom to make choices, trust and generosity. You see? People seem to be happier when they have a strong sense of togetherness. That they belong to the community and society and have trust with each other.

Trust is one of the most fundamental elements of a happy society. If you have trust in people, then you need less control and you spend less energy trying to feel safe. The feeling that others or society can support you reduces anxiety and boosts happiness. They are all interconnected.

This is probably why Finland and the other Nordic countries are the happiest countries in the world. Denmark 2nd, Norway 3rd and Iceland 4th. Impressive right?