Late last month the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network released its annual World Happiness Report, which rates well-being in countries around the world. For the sixth year in a row Finland was ranked at the very top.

But the New York Times reports that Finns themselves say the ranking points to a more complex reality. 

Penelope Colston writes: "It turns out even the happiest people in the world aren’t that happy. But they are something more like content.

"Finns derive satisfaction from leading sustainable lives and perceive financial success as being able to identify and meet basic needs, Arto O. Salonen, a professor at the University of Eastern Finland who has researched well-being in Finnish society, explained. 'In other words,' he wrote in an email, 'when you know what is enough, you are happy.'"

Put simply, Finns report feelings of guilt, anxiety and loneliness, and they are concerned about the dominance of global capitalism, possible gains by a far-right party, the war in Ukraine and their relationship with Russia. But the fact that everyone's basic needs are met "makes people feel safe and secure, to not be left out of society.”

Article: The Finnish Secret to Happiness? Knowing When You Have Enough.

Related Article: Why Finland is the Happiest Country in the World – an Expert Explains