Why are the Finns so happy?
According to the World Happiness Report, Finns are the happiest people. Kati Lehtinen-Hahn is a Finn who lives in Germany. She reveals what can be learnt from Finns.
Interview: Anja Leuschner,
06.01.2026 
Kati Lehtinen-Hahn from Finland first came to Germany as a 16-year-old guest student and then kept coming back until she decided in 2001 to live permanently in Germany. She says that the Finns are a melancholy people. According to the World Happiness Report, however, they are also the happiest - which sounds contradictory at first.
Ms Lehtinen-Hahn, how can the Finns be both melancholy and the happiest people?
Finns are very friendly and willing to help. But the long and dark winters are tough. Luckily we have the saunas! And Finns also come up with all kinds of other ways to enjoy themselves - such as air guitar championships, wife carrying and hobby horsing. Incidentally, the latter was invented in Finland. No matter how dark it gets, we always find something to make us laugh.
You have lived in Germany for 25 years and are familiar with both cultures. What could Germans learn from the Finns?
People in Germany complain a lot, which is not something I experienced so much in Finland. I believe that even small things can have a big positive effect. For example, I was once asked by another shop owner why I smile at everyone. The answer is simple: because a smile is normally met with a smile. She then tried it out for herself and told me that it had been a real game changer for her! I’m also aware of a quite different degree of transparency in Finland, for instance when it comes to the subject of salaries. Everyone knows how much a man or woman earns in the same position. I think that people in Finland trust their society and their politicians, which really helps a lot with being content and happy.
All the same, anyone can have a bad day from time to time. What can one do then to become happy again?
I have a golden rule at work: all negative emotions must remain outside. When I walk through the door, I leave them behind. And when I notice that I really need some time out to regain my strength, the only thing that helps is to take a trip back home, to Finland. We’ve got a house by the lake there, remote and surrounded by nature. We recently got electricity but still don’t have running water. The peace and quiet there help me recharge my batteries.
