The most important thing is to elect a government that can ensure that the country becomes more equal in terms of income
Posted Date – Sat, 5/20/23 at 12:45am
representative image.
danny dorin
Hyderabad: According to the World Happiness Survey, Finland has been the happiest country on Earth for the past six years. The survey relied on the Cantril Ladder Lifespan Assessment Question: “Imagine a ladder with rungs numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best life you could possibly live, and the bottom of the ladder Worst life ever. You said which step of the ladder do you personally think you are standing at this time?
Finland topped the list, followed by Denmark and Iceland. The reason why Finns are happier than others comes down to a number of factors, including lower income inequality (most importantly the gap between the highest and lowest incomes), high social support, high freedom of decision-making, and low levels of corruption . In general, the greater the income inequality and the more important money is, the less happy people are.
money effect
Finland has other qualities that can help people feel happier. It has a highly fragmented public healthcare system with a very small private sector. This is more effective and efficient than some alternatives used in other countries. Public transport is reliable and affordable, and Helsinki Airport has been voted the best airport in Northern Europe.
There’s a Finnish proverb that seems relevant: Happiness is between too little and too much.
How Finland Compares
Finland, Norway and Hungary report similar levels of income inequality, but Finns are happier on average. why is it like this?
According to the World Inequality Database, the top tenth of earners in Finland take in a third (33%) of all income. This is in stark contrast to the same group’s proportions of 36% in the UK and 46% in the US. These differences may not seem large, but they have a huge impact on overall happiness, because in more unequal countries there is far less happiness left for the rest of the population — and the rich become more fearful. It’s an understandable fear when a small percentage of people get richer.
In 2021, a sociology professor suggested that people in the Nordic countries appear to be happier simply by having more reasonable expectations. However, this does not explain why Finland differs so much from Norway in terms of happiness.
Various interpretations are possible, including linguistic and cultural nuances. Now there are even questions about whether this global survey is starting to introduce its own bias, as Finns now know why they are being asked this question (they were even ahead of Denmark in the most recent survey).
However, Finland probably has fairer schools, you’re likely to get a good education no matter which school you choose, and a fairer school policy than Norway (almost all Finns go to the nearest school) is actually quite important. Likewise, better housing policies include a variety of social housing and lower levels of homelessness, with wait times for medical care that are the envy of the world—sometimes just a matter of days (even at the height of the pandemic year)—and countless other accolades.
Finland ranks first, second or third globally on more than 100 measures of economic and social success – better than Norway. And it’s less money overall (and almost no oil). You can forgive Finns for being a bit smug (omahyväisyys).
divisive politics
Why is Hungary doing so badly, even though the income gap between its people is hardly bigger than that of Finland and Norway? One could argue that it has something to do with its divisive politics. In 2022, the European Parliament recommends that “Hungary can no longer be considered a fully democratic country”. Freedom and freedom from fear are very important to people, which also explains why happiness levels in Turkey and India are lower than their levels of economic inequality might predict.
By contrast, South Africa and China may be happier than their levels of inequality would suggest. Many will remember the period before South Africa became a democracy in 1994, shortly after Nelson Mandela’s release. The Chinese are not as scared as they are often portrayed in the West.
inequality factor
Happiness levels (among many other things) in most countries can be predicted from their levels of inequality. The UK is in the middle of what is expected to be one of the most economically unequal countries in Europe.
Israel is a bit happier than it should be — though it’s not clear that the sample there includes all groups currently living in the state. Additionally, the sample was collected in 2022, during the recent widespread protests in Israel.
Another exception is Costa Rica, where the president said in 2019: “Seventy years ago, Costa Rica abolished the military. It lies in talents and human well-being.”
So, if the people of a country want to be happier, what can they do? The most important thing is to elect a government that can ensure that the country becomes more equal in terms of income. After that, making sure your social services (schools, housing, and health care) are efficient and equitable is of the utmost importance. Finally, consider your degrees of freedom, are you actually including everyone in your survey, and how terrified your crowd is.
www.theconversation.com
