Are Finns the happiest because they keep expectations in check?

We Britons have about 60 words for happiness: blissfulness, ecstasy, pleasure, delight... The list is as varied as it is surprising, given that we only just scraped into the top 20 happiest countries in the world this year.

- Lucy Pearson

Finns, who have been named the happiest nation for the sixth year running, are either onnellinen or iloinen. The latter roughly translates as joyful or glad: you might be iloinen that you're heading off on holiday. Onnellinen, on the other hand, speaks to the notion of being content with your life, rather than describing a fleeting feeling

In the decade since the first World Happiness Report was released in 2012, four countries have held the top position: Denmark, Switzerland, Norway and now Finland. It's based on an evaluation called the Cantril ladder, in which respondents are asked to assess the overall happiness of their current lives on a scale of one to 10. The report looks at several factors that could influence a population's happiness, including generosity, freedom and trust.