Finns second only to Danes in contentment rankings

Meagre pay and poor health not a concern

print this

    Finns are content with their lives, regardless of their seemingly low pay.
      Only the Danes surpass the Finns in contentment, suggests a study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). The foundation is a Dublin-based EU bureau headed by Jorma Karppinen.
      Finns gave their contentment an average score of 8.1 on a scale of one to ten. The score for the Danes was 8.4.
     
Money does not bring satisfaction, as only one-fourth of Finns consider themselves well-to-do. This differs significantly from the average for the 15 "old" EU countries, where 43 percent consider their pay better than average.
      According to the study, one-fifth of Finns believe that they cannot afford a one-week annual vacation away from home.
      Only 19 percent of Finns suffer from work-related stress, while the figure is 47 percent for the old EU countries on average.
      Most Finns are also satisfied with their jobs overall.
     
Almost every second Finn agrees completely with the assertion that they are optimistic about the future. The difference is vast when compared against France, for instance, where barely one in ten are confident of a bright future. Just one-fifth have a thoroughly positive view of the future in the old EU countries as a whole.
      The figures for those who "completely agree" and "agree somewhat" on this issue rise in Finland to nearly 90 percent, with only Denmark scoring higher. The corresponding EU15 and EU25 figures were 64 percent.
     
The Finns are on the top of the list in illness as well, but they do not seem to find that much of a problem, either: 38 percent of Finns have a long-term disease or disability, while the former EU15 average is 20 percent.
      The Finns still gave their overall health a score of 7.8, which is close to the average.
      Finnish health care services were given a score of 7.3.
     
Eurofound investigated the quality of life of Europeans in May 2003. Over 26,000 interviews were conducted in 28 countries overall. The interviewees were 18 years or older.
      The response percentage varied from 35 percent in Ireland and Spain to 91 percent in Germany.  


Links:
  Eurofound
  Eurofound Press Release: Quality of Life Survey

Helsingin Sanomat