Why is Finland the happiest country in the world?

New Delhi: For the past seven years, Finland has been the happiest country in the world according to the World Happiness Report. This means the citizens of Finland are the happiest in the world.

Denmark is ranked second, Iceland third, and Sweden fourth. The question arises: why is Finland the happiest country in the world, despite having about 200 days of cold weather? The snowfall is so heavy that life becomes difficult, and weeks can pass without seeing the sun.

Yet, in summer, the sun shines around midnight. However, it is not fair to judge Finland solely based on its weather. There are many reasons why Finland is considered the happiest country in the world.

The title of happiest country is jointly released by the American multinational analytics and advisory company Gallup, Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Center, and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

They primarily use six criteria to choose the happiest country: per capita income, healthy life expectancy, having someone trustworthy, freedom to make life decisions, generosity, and freedom from corruption.

Regarding health and longevity, the average life expectancy in Finland is over 81 years. Health services are completely free, and everyone receives a pension after a certain age. Under their social security program, allowances are also provided to the unemployed.

Finland spends more than 20% of its gross domestic product on these services, more than any other European country.

In 2024, Finland’s per capita income is reported to be US $47,211. Although those in higher income groups have to pay up to 50% in taxes, people do so willingly.

This tax money is used not only for free medical facilities and pensions for taxpayers and free education for children but also for those who are unemployed or come from lower-income groups. Facilities like education and health are the same for everyone.

To gauge the level of mutual trust between people, 20 wallets were left unattended in 20 different places in Helsinki. Of these, 19 wallets were returned to their owners.