And the winners are, for the ninth year running ...
quote:
The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, found that Finland is the happiest land in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway ranking among the top 10 countries.
The report said Finland and the other Northern European countries’ steady ranking on top is related to a combination of wealth, its equal distribution, having a welfare state that protects people from the risks of recessions, and a healthy life expectancy.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb reacted Thursday to his country being in first place again, saying: “I do not think there is a magic potion, but it helps to have a society which strives towards freedom, equality and justice.”
... a pensioner who was out for a swim at a pool with cold sea water in Helsinki, echoed that sentiment. “Finns are very content, confident, have faith in their system, their country, their government,” he said.
He also stressed the advantage of having access to good health care. “My father is now in a long-term care and he’s extremely well taken care of by the system,” he said.
The 2026 rankings mark the second year in a row that none of the English-speaking countries appear in the top 10. The United States is at 23rd place, Canada is at 25th and Britain at 29th.
end quote
source:
https://apnews.com/article/world-happiness-finland-social-media-unhappiness-bf3b4dae7fcfe2842ea2bd47f88b3c4b
So, what are the Scandinavians doing right? Universal health care, for one. Government which responds to what people need, for another. Not getting involved in foreign wars. Taking care of the vulnerable. ... and, oh, yes, I almost forgot to mention: socialism.
@moonbus saidThat’s because the depressed ones killed themselves.
And the winners are, for the ninth year running ...
quote:
The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, found that Finland is the happiest land in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway ranking among the top 10 countries.
The report said F ...[text shortened]... reign wars. Taking care of the vulnerable. ... and, oh, yes, I almost forgot to mention: socialism.
@AThousandYoung saidThe country with the highest suicide rate, by a very large margin, is Greenland.
That’s because the depressed ones killed themselves.
While Sweden did have a high rate in the 1960s, this issue was specifically addressed by government programs and has significantly improved:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country
Of particular concern is that in China, suicide is the fifth leading cause of death and accounts for over one-quarter of suicides worldwide. Clearly, socialism does not work when it is imposed top-down; it works only when the people want it, bottom-up.
@moonbus saidHere’s another one with very high numbers.
The country with the highest suicide rate, by a very large margin, is Greenland.
While Sweden did have a high rate in the 1960s, this issue was specifically addressed by government programs and has significantly improved:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/suicide-rate-by-country
Of particular concern is that in China, suicide is the fifth leading cau ...[text shortened]... cialism does not work when it is imposed top-down; it works only when the people want it, bottom-up.
Autistic Adults without Intellectual Disability: Suicide is the leading cause of premature death. Autistic adults in this group are approximately 9 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.
Autistic Adults with Intellectual Disability: Epilepsy and related neurological conditions are the leading cause of premature death. This group is also at higher risk for accidental deaths, such as drowning.
Autism Awareness Centre Inc.
@mike69 saidHow did we go from happiness to suicide? There is no correlation, neither inverse nor obverse. Afghanistan is at the bottom of the list for happiness, but also has a very low suicide rate. There's no telling whether a country is happy by looking at its suicide rate.
Here’s another one with very high numbers.
Autistic Adults without Intellectual Disability: Suicide is the leading cause of premature death. Autistic adults in this group are approximately 9 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population.
Autistic Adults with Intellectual Disability: Epilepsy and related neurological conditions are the leading cause of p ...[text shortened]... group is also at higher risk for accidental deaths, such as drowning.
Autism Awareness Centre Inc.
@moonbus saidI don’t know I went off of your post???
How did we go from happiness to suicide? There is no correlation, neither inverse nor obverse. Afghanistan is at the bottom of the list for happiness, but also has a very low suicide rate. There's no telling whether a country is happy by looking at its suicide rate.
@mike69 said... and I went off of @AThousandYoung. It's an irrelevant tangent.
I don’t know I went off of your post???
@moonbus saidI was in Iceland a few years back. A hotel worker explained to me that the government controls all alcohol sales are strictly controlled and regulated by the government - That alcohol is not always available and very expensive. These rules exist because otherwise alcoholism would be rampant.
And the winners are, for the ninth year running ...
quote:
The annual report, published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, found that Finland is the happiest land in the world for the ninth year in a row, with other Nordic countries such as Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway ranking among the top 10 countries.
The report said F ...[text shortened]... reign wars. Taking care of the vulnerable. ... and, oh, yes, I almost forgot to mention: socialism.
Gemini confirmed this and said that similar systems exist in Nordic countries Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
Seems these people are so happy that the government has to limit their alcohol consumption by force to prevent them from all becoming raging alcoholics.
Hmmm.
@sh76 saidI believe the Scandinavian countries have different policies on the sale of alcohol.
I was in Iceland a few years back. A hotel worker explained to me that the government controls all alcohol sales are strictly controlled and regulated by the government - That alcohol is not always available and very expensive. These rules exist because otherwise alcoholism would be rampant.
Gemini confirmed this and said that similar systems exist in Nordic countries Sweden, ...[text shortened]... it their alcohol consumption by force to prevent them from all becoming raging alcoholics.
Hmmm.
@sh76 saidIf I remember correctly moonbus posts this stuff every year, and notes how the Scandinavian countries are soooooo happy, far more than English-speaking countries, who are the worst among the western democracies, even going to far as to claim these countries are socialist.
I was in Iceland a few years back. A hotel worker explained to me that the government controls all alcohol sales are strictly controlled and regulated by the government - That alcohol is not always available and very expensive. These rules exist because otherwise alcoholism would be rampant.
Gemini confirmed this and said that similar systems exist in Nordic countries Sweden, ...[text shortened]... it their alcohol consumption by force to prevent them from all becoming raging alcoholics.
Hmmm.
I asked AI what to make of this 'happiest' countries listing and they basically ridiculed it, and offered to make a case for it being totally flawed. As for English speaking countries, that is where 90% of the worlds immigrants try desperately to live. Somebody should advise them to head to Finland.