These are the happiest countries in the world

Finland remains the country with the happiest population on earth. For the sixth year in a row, the EU country in the far north of Europe leads the World Happiness Report, which was published on Monday to mark the International Day of Happiness.

Despite security concerns about the aggressive war of their neighboring country Russia in Ukraine and their not yet completed NATO accession, the Finns keep all other countries in the world at a distance: Denmark follows in second place, followed by Iceland, Israel, the Netherlands and Sweden. Germany lost two places, but remained in 16th place but consistently in the top 20.

The scientists involved in the report compile the country rankings based on surveys by the Gallup Institute on life satisfaction over the past three years. This results in a country-specific average life assessment, which according to the experts has remained surprisingly constant despite the crisis period with the corona pandemic, the Ukraine war, high inflation and the climate crisis. "Average happiness and our country ranking have remained remarkably stable over the three years of Covid-19," said researcher John Helliwell of Canada's University of British Columbia.

According to Helliwell and his colleagues, there are only significant deviations from the rest of the countries examined at the edges of the ranking: Finland tops the list with a value of around 7.8 out of 10, as well as war-torn Afghanistan (1.9) and Lebanon (2nd place). ,4) at the bottom of the ranking, which lists a total of 137 states. Germany (6.9) is 16th this time just behind the USA and just ahead of Belgium and the Czech Republic. Switzerland (7.2) in 8th place and Austria (7.1) in 11th place make it a little further up the field.

In the report, the happiness researchers did not go into detail about what exactly makes the Finns happier than any other people on earth. However, they identified a number of key factors that make people generally happier, such as social support, income, freedom and the absence of corruption.

The approximately 5.5 million inhabitants of Finland form a reserved and modest, but also a proud and resilient people. The fact that they are repeatedly voted the luckiest people on earth leaves many on the streets of Helsinki at a loss on this foggy Monday. "I do not know it either. It could be the nice weather,” jokes a woman, looking at the white-grey sky and the thermometer, which is reading two degrees Celsius at the moment. “But seriously, why always us?” she asks herself.

Peter Stadius from the University of Helsinki has possible answers. The happiness report shows that the Finns have confidence in social and state institutions, but also that they are satisfied with little, says the historian and expert for Nordic studies of the German Press Agency. The people in the north are satisfied with everyday life and trust that there is little corruption and that children can go to school on their own from an early age.

In addition, there is a generally Nordic phenomenon that can also be seen in some other European countries, says Stadius: “In a global comparison with societies like the USA, Japan and others, people here have a lot of free time and vacation. You are not married to work in the same way.” The welfare state treats you as an enrichment, the parental leave granted is generous. The holiday entitlement is roughly comparable to that in Germany.

Finally, there's the sweating thing: "When I'm abroad, I miss two things that are really Finnish: Finnish rye bread and the sauna," says the professor. The sauna culture is deeply rooted in Finnish society and is also good for stress. "For me, the sauna is a place of happiness."

And Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine? The decision to join NATO as a result of the war has brought Finland closer together as a nation, says Stadius. "I wouldn't call it a sign of good fortune, but in a way it was also a unifying experience."

The happiness researchers identified a similar phenomenon in Ukraine in their report: "The Russian invasion forged Ukraine into a nation," explained Oxford professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve. The well-being of Ukrainians fell sharply in 2022, but not as much as after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014, despite the extent of the suffering and damage.

According to the findings of the experts, this is due, among other things, to a much stronger sense of togetherness, caring for one another and trust in the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyj. Ukraine is now 92nd, Russia 70th. "Wars are crises that can increase the value of life when people feel united in a common cause and have faith in their leadership," the experts wrote. "These factors were more visible in Ukraine in 2022 than after 2014."