Life & society

A Finnish word, sivistys, adds to wellbeing and helps solve future challenges

Finland’s Year of Sivistys 2024 spotlights a long-established concept of societal enlightenment and learning, and harnesses its strengths to face challenges now and in the future.

Life & society Finnishness

For seventh year running, Finland is first in World Happiness Report – other Nordics in top 7

Since 2018, the UN World Happiness Report has found that Finland is the happiest country in the world. How does happiness happen?

Life & society Cuisine

Après-steam cuisine: 7 Finnish waterfront sauna restaurants serving delicious meals

Famous for its sauna culture, Finland continues to innovate in the sauna space. Sleek new sauna restaurants have cropped up around the country in recent years. A few have already become classics and local landmarks.

#1 passport

Finns can travel visa-free to 174 countries (Germans, Brits and Swedes share this honour)

Source: Visa Restrictions Index

Life & society Finnishness

7 wow-worthy Finnish saunas: Where steam meets interior design

Sauna is a Finnish national pastime, and location can make a sauna exceptional – but so can design. We peek inside seven styles of saunas in various corners of Finland.

Life & society Education

Navigating life sustainably at an archipelago school in Finland

Our video brings you to an island off the southwestern coast of Finland, where schoolkids take a course called Archipelago Knowledge. It maintains local traditions while looking towards a sustainable future.

63.5%

of Finns belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church

Source: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

Life & society Society

Digital services in Finland help families lead smoother lives

The Antila-Suurpää family from Helsinki leads a busy life. Digital services provide a lot of help in managing their daily routines and errands.

Life & society Cuisine

We love Finnish rye bread: A baking story that stretches across borders and generations

A Finnish American reporter talks food and family history as he remembers his grandmother, and uncovers a long-lost rye bread starter dough in the process. The article includes a Finnish sourdough rye bread recipe, so do try this at home.

Life & society Media

Finland promotes media literacy as a civic skill

Julia Alajärvi is a senior adviser at the National Audiovisual Institute’s Department of Media Education and Audiovisual Media. In this column, she writes about the current place of media literacy in Finland and the world.

85.4%

of Finns live in urban areas

Source: UN World Urbanisation Prospects