this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2025
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Finland is named the happiest country in the world for the eighth year in a row, according to the World Happiness Report 2025 published Thursday.

Other Nordic countries are also once again at the top of the happiness rankings in the annual report published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford. Besides Finland, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden remain the top four and in the same order.

Country rankings were based on answers people give when asked to rate their own lives. The study was done in partnership with the analytics firm Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

When it comes to decreasing happiness — or growing unhappiness —the United States has dropped to its lowest-ever position at 24, having previously peaked at 11th place in 2012. The report states that the number of people dining alone in the United States has increased 53% over the past two decades.

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[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (4 children)

As a Finn, I'd like to remind you this is 50% bullshit.

They go around asking people how they are and in Finnish culture, you're not allowed to complain, and our society sees to it that we give even substance abusers and drunks rent money, so people answer "can't complain".

Finnish people are emotionally stunted and don't even understand the concept of happiness.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 27 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

in Finnish culture, you’re not allowed to complain

What a load of shit, people complain openly all the time. Foreigners are even shocked when sometimes we're too frank in answering "how are you doing

and our society sees to it that we give even substance abusers and drunks rent money, so people answer “can’t complain”.

You think the ranking is bs because we realize that things are pretty good here? People say "can't complain" because they are content with what they got and know things could be a lot worse. It's not being emotionally stunted or some other bs, it's the realization that things are pretty good here.

It's funny, every time we do good in something there's loads of these people who rush to say how it's bs and how we actually suck. Now that's the Finnish spirit.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

It's literally measuring contentedness, not happiness.

Saying "Finland is the happiest country in the world" is akin to those studies which say "one glass of wine gives you the benefits of a half hour at the gym" or smth. Completely misunderstood. Based in reality but strongly exaggerated.

It's very different being un-discontented vs being "happy"

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 11 points 1 day ago (44 children)

I agree that the name can be misleading because different people and different cultures view happiness differently. Life is good here, so we are content. But I disagree that we aren't happy too, we're just happy with fairly little. Some nice peace and quiet at the summer cabin, good sauna, that's happiness.

Living the Finnish dream

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[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 57 points 1 day ago (2 children)

So.. people with addictions are treated as people and provided for, and they 'can't complain' about their overall circumstances. Therefore the Finnish are emotionally stunted? There's a leap of logic here

[–] LNRDrone@sopuli.xyz 38 points 1 day ago (5 children)

As someone who grew up in Finland, I get what they mean. Finns only bitch about things to their inner friend circle (very small circle usually), anyone outside that gets maybe a sarcastic everything's great, especially that thing that's really pissing me off right now kind of response. At the same time pretty much everyone gets treated generally fine and there is great support available for anyone, so it checks out those markers I assume this happiness quiz thing looks for. Why this feels weird for Finns though, is that there's also some widespread deep depression in Finnish culture. From my viewpoint as someone who hasn't lived in Finland for a long time now, I think unlike most other places the source of the depression isn't the system grinding you down, it's more internal than that. Maybe just dealing with the elements and trying to figure out what you want do with your life kind of shit.

[–] WhiteRabbit@lemmy.today 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I'm not Finnish and I got it. Sounds like my dad who's a bit of a hardass and doesn't like for others to worry. Life is hard, what's complaining going to do? And yeah I'd say he's emotionally stunted and has trouble forming real connections.

[–] LNRDrone@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 day ago

Yeah that sounds right on. That's very common attitude/outlook with Finnish men at least. Not sure if the ladies are different or if my sample size just isn't large enough, but the women I know are more open.

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

Back home we were always joking, that Finland and Hungary are distant cousins in a head to head competition for highest amount of alcohol abuse and suicide.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I'd agree.

Except I know support isn't actually available. Everyone says it is. But it actually isn't.

You won't get evicted or starve, but battling bureaucracy and being ignored by people will get to your happiness.

[–] Takapapatapaka@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I get what you mean, support in laws and numbers is not real solidarity, and therefore not effective nor complete support.

But from an outsider perspective (and i still leave in one of the most "supporting" country i'd say), it's already a big step from our current position to not get evicted or starve.

It's a good thing to know that solving symptoms with money does not solve problems though, but i feel like it remains hard to explain to people that it's not already a big step forward.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Financially? Sure.

"Getting help when you're feeling like killing yourself"? Nah.

Like literally I couldn't get help. The ER doc dismissed me, a crisis center dismissed me, my family dismissed me. Even after the documented seizures and me not getting any fucking help.

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I was always told that when someone asks how you are you say "Unbelievable!" because it can mean everything and nothing.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

So.. people with addictions are treated as people and provided for,

Definitely not what I said.

You're saying I'm saying A caused B, when I am actually saying that A is a symptom of B.

Want to see the pictures of the cell I was kept in for more than three days without my prescribed meds?

There is no way a majority of the guards / police could've been ignorant of it. Also, they turned off my water for almost a day. Literally crimed against humanity.

I once walked into an ER and after telling them I'm afraid I'll hurt myself or someone else, the on-call psychiatrist told me "don't try to make this my responsibility". Like... my man. That's literally your job description and legal duty.

But here you are, a Finn, I presume, making strawmen, since the only feeling you haven't repressed is anger towards people who actually feel.

Finnish people are emotionally stunted and don't even understand the concept of happiness.

I half agree with this. There's it's own kind of happiness in being stoic and staying to one self.

[–] Stepskippin@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I was actually wondering about that. Finland keeps getting this high ranking, so at what point do the Finnish people feel obligated to maintain that reputation when they answer these surveys? For at least a few people, I'd imagine it becomes a small point of pride.

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There's been actually a huge counter-reaction to this, with people rushing to say how the ranking must be bullshit. I'd imagine that at least outweighs that potential pride effect. It was PISA we used to cherish.

[–] Stepskippin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm curious about what might have changed. Has there been a quality of life change or a perceptual change?

[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 0 points 1 day ago

For the happiness thing, it's been that way for a long time. i think part of it is just us being terrible at appreciating good news hah. For PISA it's that our ranking has been dropping so now it's not cherished but just painful.