Opinion: Finland’s the world’s happiest country. Here’s how we do it

Editor’s Note: Marja Heinonen, the author of several books, has more than three decades’ experience as a journalist and editor in her native Finland. She has also worked in academia and holds a doctorate in communications. The views expressed here are her own. Read more opinion on CNN.

CNN
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According to the latest World Happiness Report, my country of Finland has the happiest people on Earth, a designation it has held for six consecutive years. I imagine that news might rankle some Americans, some of whom are fond of touting the American Dream and describing their country as the greatest in the world.

Since 2002, the World Happiness Report has tabulated the relative happiness of people around the globe, using statistical analysis to take into account factors such as gross domestic product per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make one’s own life choices, generosity of the general population and perceptions of the level of corruption in the society.

The US came in 15th out of the 149 countries on the survey. Was that an anomaly? No, America has not cracked the top dozen, at least not in recent years. Last year it was number 16. In 2021, it came in 14th place. The previous year, 2020, it was 18th.

Queried over the years about their own level of satisfaction with their lives, Americans consistently provide answers that land the United States in the double digit rankings behind numerous other countries.

Like other Nordic countries, Finland has well-functioning and democratic institutions that provide their citizens with extensive benefits and security. The citizens of our countries trust our institutions, something that certainly cannot be said of the United States at present, which according to some assessments is at risk of losing the very democracy which has long been its calling card on the global stage. (Incidentally, among the other Nordic countries, Denmark was in 2nd place; Iceland was 4th; Norway was 6th.)

Of course, each country has a unique history and has charted a singular path to its present level of national contentment — or lack thereof. Finland and other Nordic countries don’t have the deep class divides and economic inequality experienced by some other countries — including the United States. Our economic…