A country affectionately termed the ‘Land of Thousand Lakes’ has been named the world’s happiest country for the seventh year in a row.
Finland is famous for its saunas, reindeer and folklore, as well as its high quality of life.
Released each year on World Happiness Day, the World Happiness Report ranks more than 140 countries on how happy they are based on survey data from the Gallup World Poll.
The study analyses factors including life expectancy, confidence in government, average income and social support – and Finland consistently ranks highly in all of these areas.
From free childcare to an emphasis on work-life balance, the Finnish state is built around policies of happiness. In fact, creating and maintaining an ‘infrastructure of happiness’ is integral to its society.
Finland’s happiness is boosted by its public services. Only a fraction of the healthcare system is private, and public transport is both reliable and affordable.
And when it comes to earnings, Finns are paid relatively well: average wages hit a peak of €47,527 per year in 2021, or around £40,588.
Meanwhile, in second place was Denmark, closely followed by Iceland and Sweden. Fellow Nordic country Norway was in seventh place.
Globally, this year’s study finds that those born before 1965 are largely happier than those since 1980, with Millennial life evaluations dropping with each year of age.
But it’s good news for elderly generations, as life satisfaction actually increases with age amongst Boomers.
How to sauna like the Finnish – keep quiet and drink vodka
‘Sauna and the act of bathing was to be done in silence. According to my great-grandmother, going to sauna was like visiting church, being in a place of calm while washing away sins – cleansing the mind as well as the body,’ writes Elena Sulin.
‘While bathing no longer has a role in the spiritual practice of many, sauna still holds an important role in the everyday lives of Finns.
‘Most families will gather regularly to sit huddled next to each other in Finnish homes.
‘Friends often arrange to meet for a sauna if they don’t have their own at home. You won’t find us sitting gossiping, though – if we chat, it’s quietly, out of respect for others. Plus we’re generally a silent people.
In a public sauna, food and drink are not allowed, but in private ones, beer or vodka are popular to cool down.’
At the other end of the spectrum, the UK came in twentieth place, falling from last year’s position of number 19.
Serbia and Bulgaria, 37th and 81st respectively, have experienced the largest increases in average happiness scores since they were first measured as part of the survey in 2013 – with Serbia climbing by 69 places and Bulgaria an impressive 63.
Likewise, between 2013 and 2024, Latvia (46th) and Congo (89th) also underwent significant increases, shooting up by 44 and 40 places.
And, for the first time since the World Happiness Report was published in 2012, the United States (23rd) has fallen out of the top 20. This has largely been driven by decreasing wellbeing amongst Americans until 30, whilst Afghanistan remains last in the global rankings as the world’s ‘unhappiest’ nation.
‘Once again the World Happiness Report uncovers some special empirical insights at the cutting edge of the wellbeing research frontier,’ said Prof Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Director of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at Saïd Business School, and an Editor of the World Happiness Report.
‘Piecing together the available data on the wellbeing of children and adolescents around the world, we documented disconcerting drops especially in North America and Western Europe. To think that, in some parts of the world, children are already experiencing the equivalent of a mid-life crisis demands immediate policy action.
‘It is a great privilege and responsibility for our Centre at Oxford to become the next custodian of the World Happiness Report and we’re committed to continuing to give the world the best evidence on the state of global happiness in collaboration with our partners.’
The top 10 happiest countries in the world 2024
- Finland
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Israel
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Australia.
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