The World Happiness Report has anointed Finland as the world’s happiest country for six years straight.
Looking for the world’s happiest countries according to the UN World Happiness Report?
Well, you won’t have to look far. Finland is actually number one in a global list of happy nations known as The World Happiness Report – and has been crowned king six years running now!
Norway and Denmark follow closely behind with Iceland being close enough that they all share wonderful vibes of contentment. Other top 10 entries include Israel, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland Luxembourg New Zealand who are each having their own little happiness parties this year too!
But what about India? Unfortunately, things aren’t quite so rosy here yet; but it looks like there may be light at the end of the tunnel – we’ve moved up 11 places on last year’s ranking from 136th position to 125th. So maybe next time round we’ll even break into those Top 10 celebrations. Fingers crossed everyone
What makes a Nordic land with 5,5 million people so happy?
In Helsinki, the capital of Finland, art and culture make the city a good place to live and visit. According to the UN-published report, Finns rate highly on key issues such as a high level of education, affordable healthcare, social stability, and positive work-life balance. But it’s not just these societal indicators that affect how Finns view their quality of life – Culture and art are highly prized aspects as well.
“We see a vibrant cultural sphere that is accessible and affordable for all citizens as a major contributor to everyday happiness. And we are looking at culture through a broad lens: from urban city culture, to sauna culture, to high-end cultural offerings, such as the world-famous Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a diverse mix,” according to Reetta Heiskanen, Deputy Culture Director at the City of Helsinki.
In Helsinki, cultural events are designed for everybody, regardless the socioeconomic status, with world-class ambition. The city’s expanding cultural life makes the city a more exciting and diverse place for residents and visitors.
“Good examples are the Helsinki Festival and Flow Festival that draw international music lovers’ and urban hipsters’ attention to Helsinki every August. As well as the Helsinki Biennial, a visual art festival in summer – dealing this year with the wicked problems of our time, such as environmental crisis, political conflicts, and the consequences of technological development,” Heiskanen says.
“In Helsinki, culture belongs to everyone. For example, in the Culture Kids program, every child from Helsinki born in the 2020s has a cultural institution as a host, through whom the children and their families get a personal touch with art,” she adds.
Culture Supports Economy
Helsinki has a Nordic approach to art and culture: A unique urban culture is a key enabler of a good life – and culture also supports economic well-being.
Culture and events make Helsinki an enjoyable, dynamic, and attractive city. Cultural events boost economic development – while the city government is flexible, people and businesses find the city easy to work with when arranging events, big or small.
But what good would it be to provide interesting cultural offerings if people don’t have the time and energy to enjoy them? If you are working long hours, wouldn’t the sofa be the best option after a long day?
The answer is Finland’s emphasis on work-life balance.
This year, Helsinki placed second in the Forbes worldwide work-life balance index of major cities.
Generous paid leave and flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid and remote working, were among the factors cited for the high ranking.
“It’s a Nordic dream, a good everyday life, which you can achieve in Helsinki. This means that you can build a successful career and still have enough time and energy for a flourishing personal life and cultural experiences. A vibrant culture creates an attractive city that is easy to fall in love with,” Heiskanen concludes.
Unleash Your Curiosity About Finnish Culture
This year offers unique cultural offerings in Helsinki throughout the year. There are multiple great exhibition openings, such as the world-famous Tom of Finland and Albert Edelfelt, in Ateneum, the Finnish National Museum of Art, which will open its doors after a year-long renovation, and the Helsinki Biennial, a contemporary art event, taking place for the second time in summer 2023, June 12th until September 17th.
UN – World Happiness Report 2023
It has been over ten years since the first World Happiness Report was published.
And it is exactly ten years since the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/281, proclaiming 20 March to be observed annually as the International Day of Happiness.
Since then, more and more people have come to believe that countries should be judged by the happiness of their people.
There is also a growing consensus about how happiness should be measured.
This consensus means that national happiness can now become an operational objective for governments.
So in this year’s report, the following questions were asked:
- What is the consensus view about measuring national happiness, and what kinds of behaviour does it require of individuals and institutions?
- How have trust and benevolence saved lives and supported happiness over the past three years of COVID-19 and other crises?
- What is state effectiveness and how does it affect human happiness?
- How does altruistic behaviour by individuals affect their own happiness, that of the recipient, and the overall happiness of society?
- How well does social media data enable us to measure the prevailing levels of happiness and distress?
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