Finnish cities among happiest in the world

Helsinki was the highest-placed Finnish representative in the Happy City Index 2023, taking 11th spot in the ranking. The eastern city of Lappeenranta (25th) was named as the second-happiest city in Finland and Oulu (50th) the third.

The three other Finnish cities to appear on the list were Tampere (51st), Jyväskylä (58th) and Turku (60th).

Altogether, the Happy City Index evaluated 200 cities in 24 different areas of activity, divided into five key categories: citizens, governance, environment, economy and mobility. Its chief goal is to assess whether actions taken by decision-makers have made an impact on people’s happiness.

A high degree of life satisfaction among residents, coupled with their appreciation of freedoms and the social support provided by a stable and well-functioning society, has seen Finland take the top spot in the World Happiness Report for six years running.

“In Finland, the idea is that a well-functioning welfare state creates the prerequisites for a favourable business environment, enabling companies and individuals to succeed,” said Antti Aumo, head of Invest in Finland from Business Finland. “This safety net functions as a trampoline in Finland, giving an extra lift for Finnish people and companies.”

Helsinki also secured a spot among Europe's top 30 startup hubs in 2023, and this year saw it named by the European Commission as good place to live as an immigrant. The latter report also recognised Oulu as the second-best place to live for families with young children and for the ease of finding reasonably priced good housing.

Helsinki has also been named the best city for work-life balance in recent years and among the top three for its technological provision. Furthermore, the quality of life in the Finnish capital has received considerable praise from the Monocle magazine.