We’ve said it many times. Finland doesn’t just seem to be one of the happiest places on the planet. Years of research confirm this, and even workers confirm it. They are so clear about it that they even encourage free travel so that people can learn to be happy. And yet it’s a huge paradox that foreigners and expats living in the country consider it one of the worst places to live. Or maybe there’s an explanation?

Third from the tail. The news, which echoes these absurdities, was featured in InterNations’ annual Expat Insider survey, a global advice and social networking site for expats. To the surprise of many, Finland came in third from last this year, losing out only to Turkey and Kuwait. “The biggest loser of 2024 is Finland. In just one year, the percentage of expats who are happy with their lives there has fallen dramatically.” They trust the web.

Keys. InterNations highlights that Finland performed well among the 53 countries analysed in the categories of digital skills (6th) and climate and environment (8th), but faltered (a lot) in the categories of working abroad (46th), ease of settling in (50th) and personal finance (52nd).

“Expatriates with a relatively high cost of living do not see their disposable family income as sufficient and/or are unhappy with their financial situation,” it said. “The cold weather is also spreading into social circles, and Finland ranks last in the ease of adaptation index,” they noted.

It’s a political issue. Riikka Pakarinen, CEO of the Finnish Startup Community, described the collapse at Helsingin Sanomat as astonishing: “Especially when you consider that we need manpower and talent. Those are the ones that benefit Finland the most. Finland in general needs workers, regardless of the sector.” Pakarinen argues that the government should acknowledge the situation and take steps to fix it, presenting and communicating a clear proposal on measures.

The Finns Party, the most anti-immigrant member of the four-party ruling coalition, also “must recognise the seriousness of the situation. We must be able to distinguish between situations where people are trying to come here for false purposes and the general situation where most newcomers want to work for the benefit of society,” he stressed.

Language is a barrier. The survey found that expats struggle in many aspects of life in the country. It was ranked as one of the hardest places to learn a language, which has a ripple effect on friendships and career opportunities.

In this context, an Estonian expatriate said: “Even though the company’s language is English and the position can only be fulfilled in English, companies still demand that applicants speak Finnish almost like a native language.”

Viewpoints and social circle, another wall. The country ranked very low for career opportunities and job security. “Local job opportunities for immigrants are scarce and often discriminatory,” commented one immigrant from the UK. When it comes to networking, opinion is not much different.

When it comes to making friends, foreigners described Finns as “not very tolerant of foreigners” and “too introverted.” In fact, some comments escalated the situation, with one Greek adding that they experienced “nepotism and very problematic situations every day.”

Move for your partner. Kathrin Chudoba, chief marketing officer at InterNations, told Fortune that many people move to Finland to join a partner or associate, meaning they aren’t moving for their own career aspirations or desire to live there. “I can imagine that these people who don’t have a clearly defined career path when they move could be affected by a recession or difficulty entering the job market,” she says.

This will reveal the limited opportunities (and income) reflected in the survey. “If you’re unhappy with your financial situation or your disposable household income isn’t enough to live a comfortable life, you’re likely to view certain categories, like entertainment options or housing, more negatively because you can’t afford them,” Chudoba says.

The happiest country. This is the biggest paradox of survey results. For years (and right up until 2024), Finland has dominated the World Happiness Report; this analysis is based on very different questions from those in the Expat Insider survey. In this case, it uses data from a survey that asks respondents to think of a scale where 10 is the best possible life and 0 is the worst. They are then asked to rate their own lives on that scale.

Across the street is the Expat Insider survey, which focuses on specific, practical experiences. It’s clear that asking the general population or expats specifically yields very different perspectives.

Invoice. Basically, it’s a completely unhelpful issue. The government’s bill stipulates that foreign workers must be reemployed within three months (or six months, in the case of experts) to retain their right to reside in the country. The same bill, which has sparked a huge controversy, is scheduled to be presented to parliament in the autumn.

Happiness, as we have seen, is a highly abstract concept. In the happiest country in the world, you can live and feel the opposite.

Image | youngrobv, Kuunkuiskaajat

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