9 experts on Finnish happiness: From cold-water swimming to trust in institutions, why does the nation stay happy?
Happiness is taken seriously
‘Finland, with its Nordic welfare model, has been a pioneer in making well-being enhancing policy,’ says Assistant Professor Frank Martela, a philosopher and researcher of psychology specializing in meaningfulness, happiness and how organizations and countries can unleash human potential. A globally recognised expert on both Finnish happiness and the happiness of nations, he has written for Scientific American Observer and for the World Happiness Report 2020. His most recent work urges governments to consider well-being as a key metric for success and explains why a sense of autonomy matters. He has been interviewed for the New York Times, CNN, BBC World, Fox News, Deutsche Welle and many more. His most recent book ‘Stop Chasing Happiness: A pessimist’s guide to a good life’ was published in 2025.
Contact
frank.martela@aalto.fi
Finnish cities are green
Finnish cities are European leaders when it comes to tree canopy cover — only Norway claims greener urban areas — and is shaded by trees. Is it a coincidence that green cities rank highly for happiness? Landscape architecture experts Associate Professor Ranja Hautamäki and Assistant Professor Elisa Lähde think not. ‘Research conclusively shows that urban trees mitigate heatwaves, support carbon sinks and enhance physical and mental wellbeing for residents, while keeping other species happier too,’ says Hautamäki. And in Finland, policy-makers are directly acting on the science. The researchers are with all three municipalities of the Greater Helsinki region, working with urban planners to ensure that any planned construction or renovation meets clear, science-based metrics for wellbeing, biodiversity and climate adaptation. ‘Urban nature is a clear driver of Finnish life satisfaction — and our municipalities take this seriously. ’ says Lähde.
Contact
Finns trust in each other and institutions
It’s no coincidence that international comparisons not only show Finland to be a happy nation, but also a trusting one, says Marjo‑Riitta Diehl, Associate Professor of Management and Organization at Aalto University School of Business. ‘Many studies show that various forms of trust — in close relationships, in strangers, and institutions — predict individual well-being and life satisfaction,’ says Diehl. Diehl’s recent research focuses on organisational justice and fairness at work, with her study on gender and women’s leadership paths receiving numerous international Best Paper nominations and awards from journals and conferences. Diehl serves as Senior Associate Editor at the Journal of Organizational Behavior and sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Business Ethics and the International Journal of Human Resource Management.
Contact
marjo-riitta.diehl@aalto.fi
Educational policy-makers work hand-in-glove with researchers
Would extending pre-school education from one to two years close gaps in children’s learning outcomes later on? This question was examined by Economics Professor Matti Sarvimäki in a nearly 40,000 child study commissioned by the Ministry for Education over three years. It found that an additional year of pre-primary education did NOT improve school-age skills compared to children who simply went to daycare for that time. Sarvimäki, a strong advocate of data-driven decision-making, emphasizes the negative result as a success, and expects the findings to truly affect policy decisions. ‘If policy-makers listen to research, it could prevent costly reforms that are unlikely to achieve their goals,’ he says. 'It’s better to first reliably determine what the consequences of potential reforms will be. Then we can direct investments to where they genuinely provide the greatest benefit to people.’
Contact
matti.sarvimaki@aalto.fi
People value slowing down
In Finland, over 720,000 people (about 1 in every 8) are regular cold-water swimmers, plunging into water below 15°C (59°Fahrenheit) or colder, on average 2-3 times a week. Postdoctoral researcher Tatsiana Padhaiskaya deep dives into this extreme practice in a new study, finding it offers temporal slowdown and embodied learning that transforms initial discomfort into moments of calm and presence. Swimmers report long-lasting benefits from even the briefest of dips, including mental clarity and the ability to draw on inner resilience long after they leave the water.
Contact
tatsiana.padhaiskaya@aalto.fi
Sauna is more than a hot trend
Architect Jaakko Torvinen designs unique buildings using natural, unfinished wood, complete with knots, branches and striking organic forms. His latest project, Puusauna, a two-storey wooden sauna in Finland’s eastern archipelago just received Wallpaper Magazines’ Life Enhancer of the Year Award. It’s part of his quest to prove that what would usually be considered waste timber has utility and economic value: ‘We waste too much good timber on the basis that generic is best. This is old school thinking and depends on ideas that consumers are ready to abandon.’ Get a taste of the Finnish slow life in this .
Contact
jaakko.torvinen@aalto.fi
People are attuned to beauty
Internationally renowned researcher Sanna Lehtinen is driven by an interest in what we find beautiful and why. An expert in urban and environmental aesthetics, she says Finns value proximity to nature and make room for aesthetic diversity — as such, the beauty and stark contrast between Finnish seasons brings them joy. ‘Ranging from the most mundane everyday things to life-changing experiences, attention to aesthetics can be a key to understanding true happiness,’ says Lehtinen. A frequent commentator for Finnish media, she has contributed on topics such as , and the .
Contact
sanna.lehtinen@aalto.fi
Even buildings are designed to make people feel good
Did you know people heal faster in hospital rooms with a view of nature? Buildings affect both our happiness and health, says Professor of Architecture, Laura Arpiainen. Human scale, our sensory experience of materials, and the freedom to adapt and personalise the spaces we’re in can shape our sense of belonging, even our identity. ‘Think of a favourite memory, and chances are the physical environment where it happened will include positive sensory elements — like the warmth of sunlight’. Her work in architecture for well-being spans from hospitals to homes for people with memory decline. Arpiainen is frequently invited by universities, public sector developers, policy-makers and researchers to share how and why our built environments should bring us happiness.
Contact
laura.arpiainen@aalto.fi
An invitation to find out for yourself…
If deep diving into the research on why people in Finland are so happy doesn’t leave you satisfied, then come and find out for yourself!
Aalto University’s Happiness Summer Schoolintroduces participants to the science of happiness and well-being, with a focus on Finnish and Nordic insights. Over two weeks, participants will explore what research says about happiness, discuss these findings, and, most importantly, put these findings into practice in their own lives. The course runs from August 10 to 21 and applications are open until May 31, 2026.
Laboratory of Hope is Aalto University’s spring exhibition exploring how researchers and students work towards solutions that would see Finnish happiness extended to all people, plants and animals on the planet. Like a vast laboratory, we are envisioning and testing ideas, creating solutions to make entrepreneurship and fashion more accessible, enabling groundbreaking quantum computers, harnessing artificial intelligence to improve healthcare and more. ‘Hope can be found in working together, saying YES to life and from the feeling of actually actively doing something about things that bother you,’ says exhibition curator Outi Turpeinen. ‘And despite complex global challenges, conflict and uncertainty, our community remains hopeful. This, surely, is key to happiness.' The free exhibition runs on Aalto University campus in greater Helsinki, Finland until 27 March, 2026 and its contents are available .
Laboratory of Hope exhibition
In this exhibition, people from across Aalto University share what hope means to them and how they are helping to build a more hopeful society — through, for example, inclusive fashion and entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and new quantum materials.
- Photo gallery for media use can be found .
- General media enquiries, please contact International Editor, Sarah Hudson sarah.hudson@aalto.fi, (+358) 503464611
Read more news
What motherhood reveals about modern work
Workplace norms still demand that the realities of motherhood are hidden, but organisations must accept that careers now unfold differently, says Professor Taija Turunen.
Applications open for Innovation Postdoc in AI
A fully funded, 12–18 month career track to turn your doctoral discoveries into deep-tech startups.
VTT, Aalto University and GTK: How to ensure Finland captures the multi‑billion growth potential of mineral economy
Finland is rising to the forefront of the mineral economy through new research initiatives and closer collaboration