Finland has once again been ranked as the world’s happiest country for the seventh year running by the World Happiness Report. This report, initiated by the United Nations (UN) in 2012 to promote sustainable development goals, surveyed participants and asked them to rate their lives on a scale of one to ten. Finland scored the highest with a score of 7.7 while Afghanistan was at the bottom with a score of 1.7.
The Scandinavian countries consistently dominate the top rankings, while countries such as America and Germany have fallen out of the top 20. Factors contributing to Finland’s happiness include gender equality, trust in national institutions and citizens, and low levels of corruption. In 1906, Finland was the first country to grant women the right to vote and run in parliamentary elections.
The Finnish capital, Helsinki, was found to be the most honest city in a study where wallets were intentionally “lost” to test citizens’ honesty. Transparency International ranks Finland as the second-least corrupt country in the world after Denmark. Free education, universal healthcare, and family-friendly policies also contribute to Finland’s overall well-being.
In addition to these factors, Finland’s abundance of saunas is considered a key factor in its happiness. With over 3 million saunas for a population of 5 million, saunas are an integral part of Finnish culture. The Finnish embassy in Berlin recently hosted an exhibition celebrating sauna culture which was a popular and fully booked event.
Overall, it seems that Finland has managed to maintain its position as one of the happiest countries in the world due to its commitment to promoting gender equality, building trust in national institutions and citizens, offering free education and healthcare services, being family-friendly policies and enjoying sauna culture which is deeply ingrained in their society .
