Finland is the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row (2024)

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Finland is the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row? ›

In 2024, Finland occupies the top spot on the report's list of the happiest countries in the world for the seventh time in a row. The other Nordic countries usually join Finland in the top ten – this year, they are all in the top seven: Denmark is second, Iceland third, Sweden fourth and Norway seventh.

For seven consecutive years, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world, followed closely by its Nordic neighbours Denmark and Iceland.

Finland stands out as a place where people can find happiness and stability in a world that often seems full of problems and changes. According to the World Happiness Report, this Nordic country has become the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row.

The country's high ranking is due in part to its level of equality and sense of responsibility for social welfare, according to the country's official website. These are two things that are closely linked to happiness, according to the World Happiness Report.

For the seventh year in a row, Finland is the “happiest” country, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Israel. There are two new entrants in the top 20 – Costa Rica (12) and Kuwait (13). The world's “unhappiest” nation is Afghanistan.

In the newly released 2024 World Happiness Report, the U.S. dropped out of the top 20 on the list for the first time in the report's 12-year history. The U.S. now ranks at No. 23, compared to No.

Finland has its own official languages, which the Finnish government recognizes. However, even though English is not their official language, you'll find many Finns speak English well. English has become widely spoken, especially in urban areas and among the younger generation.

According to the 2024 World Happiness Report, Finland is the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row.

For the first time in the World Happiness Report's dozen-year history, the U.S. did not rank in the top 20 of the world's happiest countries. Out of the more than 140 nations surveyed, the U.S. landed in 23rd place, compared to 15th place in 2023.

A piece by Jessica Yu for the Business Review at Berkeley suggests some reasons why the Nordics are happy. Social cohesion and a high level of trust lead the way, followed by the high quality of public services and low levels of income inequality.

What is Finland's secret to happiness? ›

Sweating in the sauna helps

For the seventh year running Finland has just been declared the world's happiest country by the World Happiness Report, launched in 2012 to promote the sustainable development goals of the United Nations (UN).

In Finland, the public healthcare system offers services to everyone residing in the country, also called universal healthcare. Healthcare in Finland is publicly funded by taxes and social security payments.

The cost of living in Finland is, all in all, cheaper than in many countries. Let's crunch some numbers! Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is 28% cheaper to live in than London. Living in Finland is 9,8% cheaper than living in the United States.

The countries that fared the worst and were least happy this year are Zambia, Eswatini, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Congo (Kinshasa), Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Lebanon and Afghanistan, which was listed as the least happy by a sizeable margin.

According to the annual World Happiness Report, Afghanistan has been ranked as the saddest country in the world. For the sixth year in a row, Finland has been named the happiest country in the report, which ranks global happiness in more than 150 countries around the world.

Unhappiness continued to rise worldwide in 2021, as the world overall became a sadder, more worried and more stressed-out place. But in two countries -- Afghanistan and Lebanon -- more people were living in misery than anywhere else on the planet.

Early start of happiness

A happy childhood is believed a good seed for adult life. In Finland, a strong social system ensures that early essentials like schooling, safety, and healthcare are more than met for all children. Children are strongly recommended to spend time in nature and outdoor from an early age.

The data agency revealed that the median household's net wealth was 104,000 in 2019, but 25 percent of households had a net wealth of over 257,900 euro while another quarter of households had under 9,400 euros.