When we think of countries that have a happy population, most of us would assume that countries with fair weather, mild winters, famous cuisine and a slower pace of life would be at the top of the list. Surely the happiest places in the world would be idyllic islands like The Maldives or The Bahamas. But for the last number of years, Scandinavian countries have been sitting at the top of the annual World Happiness Report. The winner? Finland. But why?
Finland is far from the world’s richest country, while it couldn’t possibly be the weather! The report carried out by American analytics company Gallup, uses average responses to survey questions about GDP per capita, life expectancy, freedom of choice, bureaucratic corruption, and generosity. Finland performs just fine on all of these factors, but scores very highly on generosity. The researchers at Gallup note that helping others makes us feel good ourselves, and it’s worth noting that around half of Finland’s population regularly donate time and money to charity.
Finland’s social security is another factor. While the country does not have a huge GDP, the welfare state ensures that there is a safety net for those that fall into financial trouble. There’s also a very low crime rate in Finland, which of course makes people feel safer, while the country has a progressive education system. Finally, there is a general satisfaction with the government in Finland. While people may not agree on every policy, there is a low level of government corruption, civil disorder and an effective national infrastructure. It turns out that money alone can’t buy you happiness!
