Happiness can be tricky to measure. But the expert team at the World Happiness Report have used a few key factors to find the world’s happiest country.
The team asked people in countries around the world how satisfied they were with their lives to find the answer.
In 2023, Finland topped the list for the sixth year in a row. But what makes people in the Nordic country quite so happy?
According to Visit Finland, this could be because people in Finland enjoy “simple pleasures” such as clean air and spending time in the forest. In fact, Finland has the highest percentage of forest in the world.
Around 75 percent of Finland is covered in forest, making it easy for its residents to spend as much time as they want in nature.
Finland also enjoys low levels of crime and corruption which means that a majority of residents feel safe there. In contrast, Afghanistan and Lebanon were the unhappiest countries with many residents regularly facing danger.
Finnish residents also enjoy the freedom to forage and can collect mushrooms and berries without fear of repercussion.
The country also has an incredible three millions for a population of just five million people. Sauna culture is enshrined on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Saunas are thought to have incredible health benefits and in Finland, people can also combine them with a dip in cold water.
Although Finland is very dark in winter, it enjoys the midnight sun in summer and the sun barely sets.
One of Finland’s top-rated tourist attractions on Tripadvisor is the Sea Fortress on Suomenlinna island, a boat trip from Helsinki.
