Finland: from suicide hotspot to world's happiest countryFinland's stark but beautiful landscape might have something to do with the country's top score in the happiness index. [AFP]When the UN crowned Finland the world's happiest nation last month for the second year running, there were still quite a few eyebrows raised. How could this Nordic country, better known for its harsh weather and high suicide rate, be the world's happiest?Although international comparisons are imperfect due to holes in the data, in 1990 official statistics did indeed indicate that Finland's suicide rate was the second highest in the world, behind Hungary. "If you are depressed in any place in the world, you bear a similar risk of suicide," Partonen told AFP. According to the World Health Organization, Finland's suicide rate is now 22nd highest in the world, lower than the US and one spot higher than Australia.

Source: Standard Digital April 13, 2019 06:11 UTC