‘Feeling the environment with all your senses is wonderful’: Katri Konttinen, 29, Rovaniemi

The most important thing for me is the nature here. We have four beautiful and different seasons, and currently we are heading towards spring after a dark winter. The sun feels warm and people are enjoying the beautiful frosty days outdoors. I would describe my home town Rovaniemi as a winter town, where the weather is enjoyed both by the locals and visitors. When you see the sky full of stars or manage to catch the northern lights, it gives you a magical feeling.



Nature provides us with multiple ways to enjoy it during the seasons. In the winter people go outside skiing or ice fishing and they enjoy berry and mushroom picking during the late summer and autumn. Autumn is also a popular time for hunting. Going outdoors to a forest or on a frozen lake creates a massive feeling of happiness. You find yourself in totally quiet surroundings where you can feel the environment with all your senses and it is wonderful.



I would also say that though we are a small nation we have a very rich language. There are many dialects in Finland and it is great to hear them spoken. Finland is a bilingual country and Swedish is spoken as the main language in some parts of the country. As Finnish is a small language we start to learn other languages quite early at school which from my point of view is a very good thing. Like in any country, we have problems – big and small ones. But, in the end, there are many things that are good here. It is the people, the nature, freedom and many other things that make Finland a lovable place to live in.



‘People are happy with what they have’: Sabrina Logeais, 40, Lentiira



Lake near Lentiira, Finland Photograph: Sabrina Logeais

I am originally from France and I’ve been living in east Finland for 20 years in a small village . Shops are around a 30-45 min drive away, and buses are only available during school timewith one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I think it’s the culture and the way of living close to nature that makes Finland the happiest country. People respect each other and are happy with what they have and don’t think about what they could have. We also enjoy simple things like nature, saunas, family, and silence. We help others when they need it. In my village, I bought a building that was owned by the town and some of villagers helped me paint it. We often have long cold winters and there are a lot of mosquitoes in the summer but it could be worse.



‘There’s a culture of trust and a lack of corruption’: Melissa Georgiou, Helsinki

Melissa’s son Milo plays in the snow. Photograph: Melissa Georgiou

There are a few main factors that make Finns so happy and it’s not the grey Helsinki weather. Although even when the skies are grey, the air is clean. There’s a culture of trust and a lack of corruption. It doesn’t matter how much wealth you have, everyone expects to pay their taxes. These are very high but so are the benefits in return. People aren’t worried about their basic needs not being met. Finland has also struck the right balance between learning and play in their education system. Learning is of ultimate value but so is play. Both are offered by the education system in equal measure.

‘I never have the need to prove myself or justify my actions because of my gender’: Hanna Pajulammi,37, Jyväskylä

Hanna’s daughter enjoying the summer weather in Finland Photograph: Hanna Pajulammi

We Finns are happy because of high taxes. Of course I’d like to keep more of my income, but it makes it easier for people to live stress free. Because of our healthcare, getting sick won’t necessarily mean bankruptcy. Every single citizen is entitled to equal and world class quality treatment for next to nothing. Daycare is free for many, and only a fraction of the real cost to families with high incomes. Our gender equality is nowhere near perfect, but still very good compared to other countries. As a doctor I never have the need to prove myself or justify my actions because of my gender. So combining career and family life is very much possible. We have a fair amount of paid annual leave, and I’m taking five days right now to ski with my family in Lapland. Five days surrounded by beautiful and clean arctic nature. Not too bad, huh?

‘Every citizen is equal’: Eerika Roos-Kulvik, Helsinki

Eerika Roos-Kulvik and her daughter forming a heart with their arms while snowboarding Photograph: Eerika Roos-Kulvik

It’s about so many things. We don’t have serious terrorism, gun violence, pollution or homeless people living on the streets. Our country is safe and you can trust the police and the law. Everything works and people mostly play by the rules. We are quite honest and we don’t do small talk - we tell it how it is. We have complete access to the internet and every citizen is equal; we have free healthcare, free education from elementary to university and Finland is one of the world’s safest places to give birth or to be born.



It doesn’t matter what your background is; anyone can be anything if they just work hard for their dreams. And if you fall, our social security system will catch you. Or at least it is designed to do so. We love our clean nature and believe in fresh air. Babies nap outside in sub-zero temperatures, and our kids are taught to ski and skate at an early age. Finland was the first country in Europe and the third country in the world to give women a right to vote in 1906. We had our first female minister in 1926, and since then we have had a woman as a president and a prime minister. So in terms of equality, gender and otherwise, I like to think that we are well educated and open minded.