Ah, to be Finnish. Summers spent kayaking under the midnight sun. Winters spent snowshoeing and dog-sledding through snow-covered forests. Basking in the steam of a Finnish sauna before taking an invigorating plunge into an ice-cold lake.
It’s no wonder the small Nordic nation has been named, once again, as the world’s happiest country by the UN’s annual World Happiness Report. It’s the sixth year in a row Finland has claimed the title – and not only for its natural beauty and cultural traditions.
Countries are ranked based on feedback from locals, as well as factors including life expectancy, social support, generosity, freedom, corruption levels and GDP per capita. With its universal healthcare, low rates of poverty and generally sunny outlook (despite the long winters), Finland scored highly on all of the above.
Two other Nordic countries, Denmark and Iceland, came second and third in this year’s list – the same ranking they were given in last year’s report. Eight of the ten happiest countries in 2023 are in Europe.
Here’s the top ten in full:
1. Finland 🇫🇮
2. Denmark 🇩🇰
3. Iceland 🇮🇸
4. Israel 🇮🇱
5. Netherlands 🇳🇱
6. Sweden 🇸🇪
7. Norway 🇳🇴
8. Switzerland🇨🇭
9. Luxembourg 🇱🇺
10. New Zealand 🇳🇿
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