Finland turns out to be the happiest place on Earth, according to a 2019 United Nations global study. The top five countries on the happiness list are European states with strong welfare principles:

1) Finland. 

2) Denmark.

3) Norway.

4) Iceland.

5) The Netherlands.

The United States ranks 19th on the UN list. Surveys show that only about one-third of Americans consider themselves happy. Why Americans consistently report rather low levels of happiness is unclear. Experts point to overly busy lives, decreasing trust, addictions, and financial struggles, among other forces. What qualities lead to happiness? Broadly speaking, good health, education, freedom, and wealth are associated with happiness. But wealth, at least for “average” people, seems to have a diminishing influence on happiness after incomes reach about $75,000 annually in the United States. On the other hand, a recent study suggests that the very wealthy (worth roughly $10 million or more) are modestly happier than those worth “only” one or two million dollars.

Community/Hygge

Why are the Scandinavian people particularly happy? Denmark has often been at the top of the happiness reports. Danes seek what they call “hygge,” which may be thought of as coziness, intentional intimacy, trust, and the like. Simply “hanging out” with friends and family seems to be critical to happiness in Denmark. Ninety-two percent of Danes belong to some kind of social club, and the government encourages these get-togethers by helping to pay for them. Likewise, while Danes value nice things, they are said to be a “post-consumerist” society where consumption is not a high priority. Their extraordinarily high taxes (around 50 percent of income) may also play a role in the happiness quotient in that income is substantially leveled, allowing careers to be chosen more on the basis of interest rather than money and also allowing everyone to “hold his/her head high” regardless of occupational status. Finally, experts point particularly to the Danes’ very high quotient of trust, which may be a product of the cradle-to-grave security provided by the government. Mothers, for example, commonly leave their babies unattended in strollers outside shops and restaurants. Of course, Denmark has the advantage of being a small, homogeneous nation largely free of America’s worldwide responsibilities. [For a skeptical view of Finnish happiness, see “Is Finland Really the Happiest Country in the World?” [www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FPU4F-Ajh8].