The country has been quite successful in keeping the gap between poverty and wealth under control.
The happiness of Finns is their satisfaction with the stability of life. Even when the world around is ablaze and the news grows darker day by day, Finns rate their lives as good on average.
This summarizes the results of the happiness report by Lari Hokkanen, a graduate student at the Department of Social Policy at the University of Helsinki.
– This indicator measures not happiness as such, but life satisfaction. It is a rational assessment of how life feels overall, and it may not be accompanied by vivid emotions — neither positive nor negative, – says Hokkanen.
According to the researcher, the high positions of Finland and other Scandinavian countries in the report are largely explained by social stability and a strong welfare state that provides psychological resilience, or, in scientific terms, resilience in difficult times.
– It is telling that many Scandinavian countries, that is, the so-called welfare states, are in the top ten. Institutions create a sense of security and trust for us even in challenging times, – notes Hokkanen.
The typical Finnish pursuit of moderation also plays a role. Ordinary people do not chase after a crane in the sky.
– Undoubtedly, satisfaction and happiness are largely determined by a person's expectations from life. It is precisely Finnish moderation in demands that is the key reason why we occupy such high places in the rankings, – says the social policy expert.
A Small Income Gap Contributes to Happiness
Equality and the desire to include all citizens in public life enhance the sense of happiness, notes Professor Arto O. Salonen from the University of Eastern Finland.
– In Finland, we have been quite successful in keeping the gap between poverty and wealth under control; it has not increased too much. If we do not monitor this in the future, we will find ourselves on a path from which there is no return.
Low Levels of Corruption and Trust in Institutions Also Support Well-Being.
However, environmental damage from the Finnish way of life is not taken into account in happiness studies, says Professor Salonen.
– Although Scandinavian countries are doing well in terms of social sustainability, the ecological price is too high. In Finland, the day of ecological debt falls again on April 1, and for the rest of the year, we live on credit.
World Ecological Debt Day is the day when the amount of renewable resources consumed by humans in a year begins to exceed the amount that the Earth can reproduce.
An unexpected leader has emerged: tiny Costa Rica — a five-million-strong country in Central America, squeezed between Nicaragua and Panama. Costa Rica has even surpassed Sweden and risen to fourth place. Professor Arto O. Salonen sees clear grounds for this rise.
– Costa Rica has no border threats or army; there is no need to worry as we Finns do. Costa Rica is a successful society: people live long there, and the ecological damage is relatively small. Everything is indeed as it should be.
