Finland is the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row. The news has received a lot of attention in the world’s media.
According to the French news channel France24 one significant reason for the happiness of Finns is the small income differences and the welfare state model.
The channel also reminded its global audience that there are plenty of bands playing metal music in Finland, and that in Finland the size of the speeding fine is based on a person’s income level.
According to the popular travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler reasons for the happiness of Finns are income level, freedom, life expectancy and generosity. The magazine reminds its readers that people in Finland expect to get their lost wallet back.
The Australian broadcasting company ABC reports Finland’s number one place by saying that Finns’ happiness is explained by a close relationship with nature and a balance between work and free time.
Indian newspaper Hindustan Times, one of the largest in the country, says, on the other hand, that Finns are communal and doing well.
The Irish broadcasting company RTÉ saysthat Finns have an idea of happiness that is easier to achieve than, for example, in the United States, where happiness is associated with financial success and money.
RTÉ also says that behind Finland’s success are high trust in others, low corruption and trust in the authorities.
German news channel Deutsche Welle tells about Finland’s victory in his television talk. It shows Finns swimming and skiing in the sea, and says that Finns are satisfied with their lives.
Deutsche Welle also says that Finns’ happiness is explained by good social safety nets, freedom, generosity, and gross domestic product.
The British Guardian newspaper has interviewed the Finnish ambassador in London for his story Jukka Siukosaarta. According to him, Finland has succeeded in creating a “happiness infrastructure”, which includes a safe environment, affordable access to culture and relatively small income differences.
– Everything starts from the fact that the citizens in Finland trust the institutions, he adds.
The American CNN news channel says in his story about Finland, where “the northern lights dance in the winter sky and the summer sun shines through the night”.
CNN tells about how people in Finland help each other every day, and where things like education and healthcare are of a high standard and accessible to everyone.
According to CNN, immigrants are also happy in Finland and “the country is ready to share its happiness with others”.