The top ten countries include Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway, along with Costa Rica and Mexico, which entered the list for the first time. The United States dropped to its lowest position ever, ranking 24th, while Afghanistan remained at the bottom.
Researchers attribute Finland’s high ranking to strong social support, institutional trust, economic stability, and a well-functioning welfare system.
Jennifer De Paola, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, said Finland’s success is linked to its societal structure.
“Trust in institutions, equality, and social security contribute to life satisfaction,” she said. “These factors make it understandable why Finns rate their lives so highly.”
She also noted that flexibility in Finnish society plays a role.
“The system allows for major life changes, such as returning to education later in life, and workplaces have relatively flat hierarchies. These contribute to a sense of control and security.”
Despite the rankings, De Paola and other experts argue that the survey measures life satisfaction rather than happiness in an emotional sense.
“The survey doesn’t ask about feelings of happiness, such as how often people experience joy or sadness,” she said. “The term ‘happiness’ is used because it attracts attention, but it might be misleading.”
Markku Ojanen, a happiness researcher, echoed this view.
“It’s somewhat amusing that the project is called the ‘World Happiness Report’ when it doesn’t directly measure happiness,” he said.
The methodology relies on self-reported life evaluations, with additional analysis using factors such as GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceived corruption.
Costa Rican economist Mariano Rojas, one of the report’s contributors, explained that happiness in this context refers to how people assess their overall life situation rather than momentary emotions.
“The word ‘happiness’ is used as an umbrella term,” he said. “It’s important to understand that it refers to life evaluation rather than emotional states.”
The report also highlights regional trends. Countries such as Lithuania, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic have steadily risen in rankings, suggesting a convergence in life satisfaction levels across Eastern, Central, and Western Europe.
As discussions on the meaning of happiness continue, Finland remains at the top of the rankings, reinforcing its reputation as a country where citizens consistently report high life satisfaction.
HT