Education and housing are the key as to why Finland has been named the happiest country in the world.
That's according to Irishman Ronan Browne, who has lived there for 12 years.
A new World Happiness Report puts Finland in the top spot for the 6th year in a row.
Europe dominates the top 10 with Luxembourg, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Iceland and Denmark all making the cut.
Ireland ranks 14th, between Canada (13th) and the United States (15th).
War-torn Afghanistan and Lebanon remain the two unhappiest countries in the survey.
'The education system'
Ronan Browne is a journalist with YLE, Finland's national broadcaster.
He told The Hard Shoulder why the country deserves this title.
"I guess bureaucratic things work very well," he said.
"I think one of the biggest differences for me would be the school system or the education system.
"Finland has a very glowing reputation for its education levels, and a lot of that is built on the fact that your local school is the best school - that's a saying that they have here.
"There's really good equality in education, parents don't have to go school shopping or anything like that.
"The school that's nearest to you is the best option".
'Great opportunity'
Ronan said Finns can greet the title with "some eye-rolling."
"Usually what you see on social media when this happens is: 'I feel sorry for the rest of the world if we're the happiest'.
"I actually did a report on this last year, and I went out on the street and asked Finns what was their reaction to this.
"A very common answer was that... Finland has great opportunity.
"The opportunity for social mobility, or the fact that it's not a very hierarchical society, means that people feel they can be whatever they want to be.
"That was a big part of this sort of happiness".
A NATO flag flies surrounded by flags of member states at the headquarters of the military alliance in Brussels. Belgium. Picture via @NATOpress on TwitterRonan said events in Ukraine, and Finland's NATO application, have not really eroded their confidence.
"I think what's happened over the last year... Finns have had a very sort of pragmatic response to that," he said.
"The move toward NATO and everything like that, it was a very sensible and pragmatic approach".
Homelessness
On homelessness in Finland, Ronan said people have a right to a roof over their head.
"It's often said in international media that Finland doesn't have any homelessness, that Finland has solved homelessness," he said.
"[This] isn't technically, absolutely true.
"Some people do still fall between the cracks; but in comparison maybe to Ireland, I think they're at a much better place with that.
"They have this Housing First policy which means that no matter what, someone is entitled to a roof over their head.
"Whatever way of providing some social housing or an apartment for somebody, and giving them the housing allowance to do that, that's always there," he added.
Listen back to the full interview below:
