Finland has the happiest people: What about immigrants?

Finland has for the seventh consecutive time been ranked as the world’s happiest country. This is according to the 2024 World Happiness report. For the first time the study looks at different age groups in countries around the world and also includes the happiness of people who immigrated and whether the level of happiness applies also to this group.

Moving abroad involves a lot deliberations and sometimes the terrain comes with uncertainties when you don’t know what to expect. So are immigrants in Finland as happy as locals?

The facts

Finland seems to have all aspects of happiness not only for indigenes but immigrants.

For example, wallets left on the street are often returned, people constantly lend a helping hand to one another, widely available health and educational opportunities ensure that everyone starts out roughly the same.

A partner survey of Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an editorial board disclosed Finland is quite wealthy in all of those areas.

A founding editor of the World Happiness Report, John Helliwell, reiterated that immigrants are not left out stating it’s something that they are “prepared to share with newcomers.”

The GDP per capita, social support, healthy-life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and views of corruption are the six main characteristics examined in the report to assist explain life ratings.

The arguments

Finland is said to have its social conditions for happiness in check. This is coupled with a good work-life balance, affordability especially with education, amazing working conditions, and a host of others.

Finland purposefully created serene conditions to provide residents the greatest degree of financial and logistical independence while accounting for the unique constraints of modern life. Immigrants also enjoy the level of peace and happiness locals get.

One of the strongest welfare programmes in the world is supported by the government of Finland. The Nordic nation allocated the largest percentage of its GDP (24%) to social safety in 2021 compared to all other OECD nations. Although there are significant taxes in the nation, citizens receive generous benefits.

Moreover, individuals who relocate permanently to Finland are typically eligible for Kela benefits as well as Finnish social security coverage. Your entire scenario is taken into account. For example, returning migrants are regarded as permanent residents of Finland.

But some Americans including Donald Trump described it as unsustainable and oppressive. But American immigrant couple, Anu Partanen and Trevor Corson, think otherwise.

They testified in their write-up “Finland Is a Capitalist Paradise” that in the Nordic country, “what we’ve experienced is an increase in personal freedom. Our lives are just much more manageable”.

A majority of foreigners also agree that Finland is a decent country to raise kids. Along with good, occasionally free education, children up to the age of 18 can receive free dental care and healthcare. It won’t be really expensive if children require braces or anything else.

The reason Finland ranked highest was that no foreign parent made any unfavourable comments on the safety, health, or general wellbeing of their kids in Finland. Just 21% of foreigners worldwide felt that the level of education was good, whereas 70% of them claimed it was great.

Finns are often stereotyped as introverted individuals. But in actual fact, they are trained to mind their business although they know how to be sociable.

Also, the harsh weather conditions make people wonder whether it is worth staying there. The nation experiences extremely cold and dark winters, particularly in the north where the months of December through February are nearly completely dark. Then again, it is also true, though, that Finns are extremely happy with their lot in life.