Finland is the happiest country in the world again. Here’s their secret to improving well-being
For the seventh year in a row, Finland is crowned the happiest nation on earth.
The annual World Happiness Report, released today, assesses almost 150,000 people’s self-reported happiness scores across more than 140 countries. Other Nordic nations are starting to catch on and rank in the top 10, with Sweden at number four, Denmark at number two, and Iceland at number three. Positive well-being is encouraged in Finnish culture. In a statement regarding the report, the ambassador of the nation praised the widespread faith in institutions, the ease of access to nature, and the lack of stress on Wednesday.
According to John Helliwell, a founding editor of the World Happiness Report, “wallets being returned if they’re dropped in the street [and] people helping each other day in and day out,” many Finns were raised to be prosocial. Furthermore, Finland cherishes work-life balance and is committed to creating healthy work environments.
Serbia (ranked 37th) and Bulgaria (ranked 81st) are tied for the most improved, with their happiness levels rising sharply over the past ten years. But for the first time in the list’s history, the US and Germany fell out of the top 20, finishing 23rd and 24th, respectively.
The ranking separated well-being ratings by age for the first time. With rare exceptions, young people tend to be happier than elderly ones. For people over 60, Denmark is the happiest country; for people under 30, Lithuania is the happiest. However, Americans under 30 had a sharp decline in happiness.
“There is more nuance to the relationship between happiness and age than was previously thought,” Gallup’s managing director, Ilana Ron Levey, tells Fortune via email.
According to Levey, the drop in young people’s wellbeing in the United States may be explained by widespread loneliness.
Different generations have varying degrees of social ties, and we know that loneliness and social support have an impact on happiness,” she says. “The young and the old may be affected differently by factors such as technology use, the quality of friendships, and school closures during COVID-19.”
Happiest countries in the world
- Finland
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Sweden
- Israel
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Australia
Happiest countries for those under age 30
- Lithuania
- Israel
- Serbia
- Iceland
- Denmark
- Luxembourg
- Finland
- Romania
- Netherlands
- Czech Republic
Happiest countries for those 60 and older
- Denmark
- Finland
- Norway
- Sweden
- Iceland
- New Zealand
- Netherlands
- Canada
- Australia
- United States