Finland, the 'world's happiest country'

Finland ranked as the world's happiest country for the eighth straight year in the World Happiness Report, with locals and experts thanking its grand lakes and strong welfare system for boosting its mood. 

According to an assistant professor specialized in well-being and happiness research at Aalto University in Finland, Finnish people are relatively satisfied with their lives, living in "quite a well-functioning society". 

The happiness ranking is based on a three-year average of individuals' self-assessed evaluations of life satisfaction, as well as GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption.