Last Updated on March 12, 2021 by Filip Poutintsev
There was a saying in ancient Nepal, “If you don’t get the justice you deserve, Go to Gorkha (The land of the Gurkhas, Currently Nepal)”. In a similar sense, for the last two years, Finland is proving itself to be the utopia and synonym of happiness. Now you know where to head if you don’t seem to find the happiness you deserve. Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world for the last two years.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in Finland
However, good things are hard to come by as you know being a Northern European country, Finland has to survive the brutal winters and limited daylight every year. Here are some more pros and cons of living in Finland that might help you decide whether or not you should plan for it.
Pros of Living in Finland
1. Good Income
Finland is one of the most prosperous countries in the world and the reason for being the happiest country in the world is also its GDP. The highly industrialized economy of Finland is primarily based on telecommunication equipment, automobiles, and forestry products. Finland also produces more than 10% of paper and paperboard worldwide.
2. Generous and Honest Society
In Finland a “How are You?” means exactly what it should literally mean. You should be ready for nothing but a surprisingly honest answer to everything you ask the Finns.
The Finnis people are also known for being honest in whatever they do, think and say. Moreover, they are the global ambassadors of generosity.
3. Healthy Life
It might be surprising to some of us but in Finland, Universal healthcare is given. If you happen to be in an accident or fall sick, you’ll receive the best of treatments available in the world and it won’t cost you a dime.
In Finland, health facilities are probably the least expensive in the world. Just to give you a hint, having a baby in Finland is 200 times less expensive than in the United States.
4. Corruption Levels
Finland is one of the least corrupt countries in the world. It has always been amongst the cleanest in the corruption index. In 2018, the index reading was 85 out of 100, 0 being the most corrupt countries in the world.
5. Good Education System
One of the best things about Finland is the regard towards the teaching profession. The government itself ensures that the teachers get the best pay and top-notch training. It’s not possible to find people working as a teacher not satisfied with his/her life.
The education system in Finland is considered to be very much student-friendly and no students to date have felt that they’ve been a victim of a hectic academic calender. The students do not have to go through strenuous homework and assignments. On average, no students in Finland spend more than half an hour at home for school stuff.
6. High Literacy Rate
Finnish people are voracious readers. The huge and beautiful public libraries is a common sight in Finland. Library to the Finnish people is a part of their life.
Ability to communicate in the Finnish language is not mandatory in Finland. Everyone in Finland speaks English and Swedish. The culture of taking students to other countries have also made a lot of difference because they get to learn other languages and cultures.
7. Minimum Violence and Criminal Activities
When a parent says he’s fine knowing his kid would be playing in the neighbourhood be it with a stranger or a friend, you know they live in a safe and peaceful country. Finland is a good place to raise your kids. Even in the crowdest of cities of Finland like Helsinki and Tampere, criminal activities are close to zero.
According to the 2017 World Economic Forum report, Finland has been rated the safest country in the world. For travellers as well, Finland is the safest country to be in.
8. Blessed with Natural Beauty
Finland is known as the Land of the Thousand Lakes. The population of Finland is fairly dispersed which gives a lot of space for nature and there are a lot of open spaces to explore. Besides, the landscape of Finland is picturesque.
Cons of Living in Finland
The good things about living in Finland comes with some bitter faces of it as well. Finland, although it is one of the best countries to live in, it has some not so major issues that people find unfavourable sometimes.
1. Brutal Winters and Rare Sunlight
Expect the worst of winters in Northern Finland, the temperature drops as low as -50°C. In fact, the entire country is known to have extremely cold winters with heavy snowfall and even snowstorms at times. Broad daylight is a rare sight in Finland.
2. Cost of Living
Finland is one of the expensive countries and the cost of living is pretty high. Helsinki is the most expensive city in Finland. You’ll need to spend more than 2000 Euros per person for an average lifestyle in Finland. The cost of living in Finland is more than in more than 80% of the countries in the world.
3. Alcoholism
Like many of the European countries, Finland is no new as long the consumption of alcohol is concerned. The country has been dealing with excessive alcoholism for many years. However, violence and criminal activities because of alcoholism are very rare.
4. Depression
Unfortunately, Finland is also considered to be a rare country with a maximum number of depressed citizens. The depression is usually attributed to the gloomy weather and people more often than not choosing to stay in the house. Outdoor activities on a daily basis are very rare because of which the festivities and hormonal gathering are also limited.
5. Difficult Langauge for Immigrants
Although Finnis is said to be one of the most logical languages to learn many foreigners and immigrants find it very difficult. People probably feel so because it is logical and really systematically established.
People find the words difficult to pronounce in particular.
6. High Taxation
Living in Finland seem to be discouraging at times when it comes to taxes levied by the government. Income taxes in Finland soar up at a staggering 31.75%. People also need to pay social insurance contributions and public broadcasting tax.
Finns are levied taxes on their salaries, pensions, capital income from their investments and social benefits. All the earned income of the people are subject to national taxes, municipal taxes, and church taxes.
Its believed that it is because of these high tax rates, the government is able to offer universal healthcare in Finland.
