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High scores all around - Finland scored high values for all variables that contribute to overall well-being: income (GDP per capita), healthy life expectancy, social support, freedom of life choices, trust (absence of corruption), and generosity.

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The most well-traveled country in the world - Finns have a right to 25 paid vacation days, allowing Finland's citizens to be the most well-traveled in the world.

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Finns take more trips than any other nationality - The average Finnish person takes 7.5 trips a year at home and abroad.

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They like to travel in their country as well - Though Finns favor Spain and Turkey as international holiday destinations, many opt to stay and travel across Finland and explore its 188,000 lakes and endless greenery.

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Free education, meaning no crippling debt - Preschool and daycare are both universal until age seven, and every academic institution is funded through public dollars. Finland has even extended their free higher education privileges to students from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland.

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They invest in childhood education - Before memorizing their times tables, kids simply learn how to be kids—how to play with one another respectfully, how to mend emotional wounds—and Finnish law actually requires teachers to give students 15 minutes of play for every 45 minutes of work.

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They invest in childhood education - Numerous studies have found that students who have regular recess intervals behave better in school and do better on assignments. Plus, there’s way less homework so kids have time to learn from, and spend time with, their families.

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Unconventional in the best way possible - Cooperation is valued over competition, teachers issue their own tests instead of standardized ones, teachers are well-valued and well-paid, and the system is adaptable, open to experimentation, and takes current research seriously.

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Dish drying closets - Astiankuivauskaappi, or dish drying closets, are a Finnish kitchen staple and consist of shelving above the sink that, instead of having a solid bottom, are made of wire racks so that dishes can drip dry. Time, energy, and cost effective!

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One of the most veg-friendly countries - Ranking 20th in the world, Finland's annual meat consumption per capita is 74.8 kg. They have 344 vegetarian restaurants, which is 16,000 people per restaurant, and their Global Vegetarian Index score is 278.

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Their warm, wholesome cuisine - The food is generally simple, fresh, and healthy, revolving around staples like wholemeal products, meat, berries, milk, and root vegetables. The Karelian pie (pictured) is a traditional Finnish dish made of a thin rye crust filled with a savory porridge-like stuffing (usually rice and potato), and covered with a boiled egg and butter mixture.

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The cleanest air in the world - The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared that Finland, remote and lacking major industrial hubs, is home to the cleanest air in the world.

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It’s a great place for women - In 1906, the women of Finland became the first women in Europe to be granted the right to vote, and they had their first female president from 2000-2012. According to The Telegraph, women’s position in both society and business is superior to that of women in most other cultures.

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The intersection of migration and happiness - The report found that immigrant happiness scores were almost identical to the scores of the population at large. Finland, for example, also came first in the ranking of immigrant happiness.

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The intersection of migration and happiness - Also closely linked to greater happiness among both immigrants and native residents was, naturally, the value of migrant acceptance.

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They’re friendly, welcoming, and accommodating - The social security system works hard to help immigrants integrate into Finnish society, such as providing Finnish language classes and information about life in Finland.

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Their social security system is amazing - Sure, taxes are high, but the system, known as Kela, provides free healthcare for all Finnish citizens and residents (plus free emergency healthcare for tourists), unemployment support, free higher education, and even a free ‘Kela box’ of supplies for each baby born in Finland.

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Social housing - Rates of chronic homelessness in Finland are also some of the lowest thanks to the social housing program.

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Long life expectancy - According to the latest WHO data published in 2018, life expectancy in Finland for males is 78.7, for females 84.2, and in general 81.4.

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Their relationship to saunas - Physical and mental relaxation aren't a luxury, but rather a necessity in Finland. There are five million inhabitants and over three million saunas in Finland, which is an average of one sauna per household.

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Economic strength - The happiest country isn't necessarily the richest, but they are capable of handling an unstable global economy. Finland was quicker than most to bounce back from the Eurozone crisis.

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Low poverty levels - Only around six percent of the Finnish population is living in poverty, and the country has the lowest rate of ‘working poor’ in the EU.

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The President’s dog, Lennu - President Sauli Niinistö is often outshone by the First Dog, a wrinkly-nosed Boston terrier with a lolling tongue who became an internet sensation and a source of pride overnight.

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Freedom of choice - Freedom in Finland feels physical, with the huge amount of space there is to explore, but it’s also social.

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Freedom of choice - There are few restrictive laws socially, and the very concept of freedom, particularly after escaping Russian rule, has been an integral source of pride for the Finnish.

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Finns are Europe’s largest consumers of ice cream - Even temperatures can go as low as -30°C, Finnish people won't refrain from enjoying a cool treat.

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Lack of corruption - Finland is often considered one of the least corrupt countries in the world. Bribery, embezzlement, fraud, and abuse of office are all illegal, and though many countries can also claim those laws, incidents of fraud are incredibly rare in Finland.

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No recorded police brutality - The police are some of the most trusted in the world—which seems to be increasingly rare in other countries—with zero recorded incidents of police brutality or corruption.

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The beautiful landscape - In addition to having 188,000 lakes and 179,584 islands, approximately 70% of the country is covered by forest, and another 10% is water.

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One of the most advanced information societies in the world - Don’t be fooled by all that rural land! There are hundreds of newspapers and popular magazines, thousands of professional magazines, more than 60 commercial radio stations, and, in 2015, Reuters reported that 95% of Finns read a newspaper at least once per week.

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They don’t strive for unachievable happiness -

Unlike countries where success and happiness depend on competition, comparison, and lavish living, Finland’s happiness turns more upon being content with one’s lot and having not the most, but enough.

See also: Get rid of these habits to be happier

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