Posted on 04/12/2025 8:37:31 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
FOR A COUNTRY known for long winters and high taxes, Finland appears remarkably chipper. On March 20th it came top of the World Happiness Report, an annual UN-backed study, notching its eighth consecutive win ahead of 146 other countries. Not far behind it were Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. What makes the Nordics so happy?
The World Happiness Report is more a study of life satisfaction than smiles and laughter. It is based on a survey by Gallup, a pollster, where participants are asked to rate their lives out of ten. Finns are not known to gloat (or, for that matter, smile much). But in the latest survey they said their lives were a solid 7.7 on average—well above the global country average of 5.6. At the very bottom of the ranking, people in war-torn Afghanistan rated their lives just 1.4 out of ten.
Various other organisations have found the Nordics to be some of the most stable, progressive and safe countries in the world. They dominate the high positions in The Economist’s glass-ceiling index , which measures the role and influence of women in the workforce. Deaths of despair, including suicides and unintentional overdoses, are quickly decreasing in the region, albeit from a historically high baseline (life-evaluation scores alone do not capture all of the factors that can lead to deaths of despair).
The Nordics are also some of the wealthiest countries in the world per person, which typically has a significant effect on life satisfaction (see chart 2).
On this measure countries in Latin America also stand out, reporting happier lives than their incomes would otherwise suggest. These countries have also outperformed the Nordics in other studies of happiness, such as how often people laugh or feel a sense of enjoyment. The researchers offer a possible explanation. They found that eating with people, compared with eating alone, was a surprisingly strong indicator of subjective wellbeing—as statistically significant as income and employment status. That holds true even when accounting for other factors, such as age and education.
Latin America is a “global leader” in meal-sharing, say the authors. People across the region reportedly eat around nine meals per week with friends or family. (In South Asia it is fewer than half of that.) This might mean they are better connected and less lonely than their peers elsewhere. Indeed, across the world the study found that measures of social support are more closely linked to how people rate their lives than GDP per person.
This might also explain why happiness in America and some other rich countries is falling (see chart 3). Americans increasingly eat alone, live alone and—when given the choice—work alone. In one survey 18% of young adults in America reported that they did not have anyone that they felt close to (although there are signs that the relentless increase in mental-health problems among young Americans has stalled or even gone into reverse ).
In many other countries, too, an erosion of meaningful connections is leaving people feeling lonely and glum. But in Finland, alone time is actually cherished. Finns retreat to their mökki (country cottages) for deliberate solitude—often in a sauna.■
Easy to call BS on this happiness claim. Per AI....
Immigration Growth
Immigration has become a key driver of population growth in Finland. Between 1990 and 2021, the number of foreign-born residents grew from 65,000 to 442,000.
Net immigration has exceeded expectations, with notable increases from Asia and Ukraine. In 2023 alone, Finland’s population grew by nearly 40,000—the largest annual increase since 1956—largely due to immigration.
But if you admit that you want more out of life then you have your neighbors will make your life hell.
Because no one should want more.
Everyone should be little. Little house, little job, little ambitions, no dreams.
Common culture. Common ethnicity. Cold climate so limited intermingling. Does that sum it up?
Their secret? Probably something to do with staying out of the news, away from anything trending, for as much time as they can. Most times, the more details you know about a particular place, the less you like it.
Mystique and fantasy are finite and precious commodities!
Precious and few, just like that song from Climax.
God said “it is not good for the man to be alone”.
We were endowed by our Creator with a craving for community.
There is no finer nor more expansive community than the Body of Christ!
I congratulate our Finns for their happiness. I wonder if it was caused by their Sunday/Sabbath forums that brought them together.
I don’t have any idea why the Northmen are so happy.
Let me have a glass of Akvavit and ponder this....
RE: Immigration has become a key driver of population growth in Finland.
OK, what does immigration growth have to do with happiness?
Let’s talk about Ukranian Immigrants. Here is America, Ukrainian immigrants in America generally fare well economically, often achieving higher levels of education and employment compared to some other immigrant groups. Many recent Ukrainian immigrants have a strong educational background, with a significant percentage holding college degrees. This has helped them integrate into the U.S. workforce, particularly in skilled professions. See here:
https://shevchenko.org/news-events/news/ukrainians-in-america/
If they can do well in the USA, why not Finland?
And I don’t have to tell you that Asians ( China, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vietnam and India ) do BETTER economically than US born Americans. Who’s to say they won’t do as well in Finland despite the challenges?
So, if they succeed in their adopted country, who’s to say they won’t experience Finland’s satisfaction in life?
This is a trend, but it probably hasn’t reached a point where it affects the vasst majority of Sweden. AT LEAST NOT YET.
I’m gonna got try and do some stuff.
Inversely correlated with um...diversity, I would suspect.
The happiest countries don’t broadcast The View.
Finn wymyn still are largely svelte and attractive mentally?
Finland = nothing there, cold, not really interesting.
I am not sure, who made these reports, but they have to be some American Haters.
From my experience, this is all BS.
If the USA were to get rid of ‘rats, I submit that we [the rest of us] would be on top.
The late Fr. Benedict Groeschel said once a large study had a result showing that the happiest people in the US are “low income black women over age 50.” He said the wealthy people he knew were usually tense, unhappy and often on anti-depressants or forms of tranquilizers.
He cofounded the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFRs) within the Capuchin order, focused on poverty, service to the poor and needy. He never moved his headquarters out of the South Bronx, despite his popularity and ability to fundraising with just one soup kitchen complex he originated requiring $1 Million a year to keep going (Year 2000 dollars).
OK, what does immigration growth have to do with happiness?
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A homogeneous nation, one that shares a national, cultural and demographic identity is going to be far happier than one with divisive, diverse immigrants causing chaos and friction. One only needs to look at our nation with our immigration growth to see that happiness is a not a result .
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