The country has been named the world’s happiest country for the sixth year in a row in the annual World Happiness Report. The U.S. ranked 15th, one spot higher than it was in 2022 and notably higher than in 2019.

Globally, in fact, there was plenty of good news about world happiness. Acts of benevolence last year were about 25% more common than they were in the days before the pandemic. And despite the pain and suffering of the past few years, the organizers of the study said that people have remained as happy in 2020–2022 as they were in the pre-pandemic period of 2017–2019.

How was that possible? It’s the power of friendship, the report says.

“Positive social connections and support in 2022 were twice as prevalent as loneliness in seven key countries spanning six global regions,” the report reads. “They were also strongly tied to overall ratings of how satisfied people are with their relationships with other people. The importance of these positive social relations helps further to explain the resilience of life evaluations during times of crisis.”

When it comes to happiness, the Nordic states seem to have found the key to enjoying life, with many ranking high on the list, which looks at everything from healthy life expectancy to community generosity.

Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the two unhappiest countries and both have an average life expectancy that’s five points lower (on a 10-point scale) than the 10 happiest countries. Ukraine came in 92nd in the list of 109 countries.

Beyond the U.S., the United Kingdom came in at 19th, Australia was 12th, and Frances was ranked at 21. New to the top 20 countries this year was Lithuania, which has been on the rise for the past six years. In 2017, the country was ranked way down at number 52.

Here’s a look at the 10 happiest countries in the world:

1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Israel
5. Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Norway
8. Switzerland
9. Luxembourg
10. New Zealand

Finland has topped the rankings of the world's happiest country for the sixth year in a row.

Every year, researchers in the US compile surveys by the Gallup Institute, measuring a variety of factors like GDP, social support, freedom to make choices, life expectancy and generosity, and asking a representative sample of people just how satisfied they feel with their lives.

Finland was joined in the top three by fellow Nordic nations Denmark and Iceland, while Britain just made it into the top 20, ending up in 19th place.

The Finns are so proud of this national reputation that the country's tourism board recently launched a 'happiness masterclass,' inviting people from other nations to help boost their satisfaction by attending a four day retreat in it's Lakeland region. Here, guests will have the chance to enjoy spending time in forests and lakes, chill out to calming music and eat nourishing food.

But what actually makes Finland such a happy nation, and can we borrow any of their secrets to boost our own wellbeing? her are a handful of life lessons we can learn from the reigning champions of contentment...

SPENDING TIME IN NATURE

Finland is home to 40 national parks and boasts the largest lake district in Europe (hence the nickname 'Land of a thousand Lakes'), and spending time outside is a huge part of Finnish culture - a 2021 survey found that almost 90% of Finns consider Nature to play an important part in their lives.

The right to roam freely in the countryside is even enshrined in a rule known as Everyman's Right, which means that people can use nearly all forests and lakes for free, so walking, swimming, skiing and even camping are free in these public areas. the flip side of this rule is that everyone must treat these natural spaces with the respect they deserve, so that others can enjoy them for generations to come. 

The mental health benefits of spending time in the natural world are well documented with studies suggesting that exposure to nature can help diminish feelings of anxiety and stress.

TRUSTING OTHERS

Finland is one of the most trusting - and trustworthy - nations in the world. In 2022, a 'dropped wallet' study by Reader's Digest tested people's honesty by leaving 192 wallets in 16 cities across the globe, and in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, 11 out of the 12 dropped wallets were safely returned to the owner. Heartwarming, right? 

BE MORE OPEN ABOUT HOW YOU'RE REALLY FEELING

In Finnish culture, giving an honest answer to "How are you?" is not just acceptable, it's totally normal. So if you're having a bad day, channel your inner Finn and let people know - they will probably appreciate your honesty.

DON'T HUMBLEBRAG

A much quoted line from the Finnish poet Eino Leino is "Kell' onni on, se onnen katkekoo," or "The one who has happiness should hide it." In other words, press pause on that slightly gloaty Instagram post, and instead of showing off your good fortune, spend time actually enjoying it. And if you're spending less time humblebragging about your own achievements, you'll probably be less drawn into the toxic spiral of comparison culture.

AIM FOR CONTENTMENT

Another Finnish saying is "Happiness is not found by searching, but by living." Happiness doesn't always have to be a soaring sense of bliss; instead, there's value in enjoying what you have and fostering a feeling of contentment, rather than chasing those dizzy highs. That's not to say that you can't aspire to big dreams or try to make improvements - just that you shouldn't beat yourself up about striving for some elusive ideal. 



 Rome, Italy