Have you ever thought of vacationing in Finland? What with the pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine, price rises and more, we are going through stressful and difficult days. Meanwhile, having just been ranked the happiest country in the world for the fifth year in a row, Finland could be just the place we need to visit right now. Read on to find out more about the World Happiness Report of 2022.

Finland is tops according to the World Happiness Report of 2022

While most countries did show a slight long-term drop in life enjoyment, Finland was way ahead of its peers in the 2022 World Happiness Report. In fact, the Nordic country has been crowned the happiest country in the world for the fifth consecutive year. This is no mean feat! Meanwhile, Denmark stayed in second place

United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network said that Denmark kept its second place in the ranking. Moreover, Iceland passed Switzerland to come in third place, and the Netherlands ended up in the fifth spot.  Meanwhile, the US moved up three places from 2021 to be listed 16th.

Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University spoke about the report. He said:

The lesson of the World Happiness Report over the years is that social support, generosity to one another, and honesty in government are crucial for well-being.

Speaking of government, it is interesting to note that the top two countries both have female prime ministers. Finland has Sanna Marin, while Denmark has Mette Frederiksen. This does make one think about the differences in power between male and female politicians.

The World Happiness Report has been published for the past ten years and has seen a number of changes. For instance, the largest gains in happiness took place in Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. Meanwhile, the largest declines in happiness are reported in Lebanon, Venezuela and Afghanistan.

According to the authors of the report, on average there has been a long-term moderate upward trend in stress, worry and sadness in most countries. Moreover, they wrote that there has also been “a slight long-term decline in the enjoyment of life.”

How does the report gather its data?

The World Happiness Report uses global survey data to report on how people evaluate their own lives, in more than 150 countries in the world. Meanwhile, the ranking is based on a three-year average and key variables that contribute to explaining people’s life evaluations include certain values. These relate to gross domestic product per capita, generosity, healthy life expectancy, social support, the freedom to make life choices and perceptions of corruption.

According to Sachs, world leaders should take heed of the World Happiness Report. Bloomberg quotes him as saying, “Politics should be directed as the great sages long ago insisted: to the well-being of the people, not the power of the rulers.”

Find out more about the World Happiness Report from the official website.

What does Finland offer?

Besides being the World’s Happiest Country for the fifth time in a row, Finland offers a vast range of attractions. Its modern cities offer culinary delights in its restaurants and stylish bars to visit. Helsinki, the capital, features world-renowned design and music scenes. Meanwhile, Turku and Tampere are lively cities, with their university student populations keeping life light and young.

On the other hand, Finland’s countryside is beautiful in every season, with its forests and picture-perfect lakes. Here, travelers can find some of the best hiking, canoeing and kayaking in Europe. Those keen on ecotourism have a choice of many national parks, with well-marked hiking trails and huts available for staying overnight. Animal lovers will get to spot, elk and bears living deep in the forests while enjoying nature hikes.

Summer in Finland tends to be short, but the Finnish make up for this with plenty of partying and good cheer. This is a time for art exhibitions, music festivals, lake cruises and enjoying the midnight sun.

When winter arrives, the World’s Happiest Country offers great skiing right through to May. Alternatively, jump in a snowmobile to explore the countryside or charter a team of dogs to take you to the perfect place to enjoy the aurora borealis (Northern Lights).

Make a plan to visit the world’s happiest country this year. Have fun, relax and explore, and then head home with a smile on your face.