One Of The Countries With The Most Residents Traveling Abroad Also Happens To Be The Happiest

Finland seems to enjoy collecting global distinctions. The Nordic country has consistently placed first as the happiest country in the world for the past eight years and counting, and has earned top spots among the world's greenest, safest, and most literate countries. It's even the country that has the most coffee drinkers in the world. Adding yet another laurel to their crown, a WorldAtlas report revealed that apart from being the happiest bunch there is, Finnish people love to travel — so much so that they're one of the countries whose residents travel abroad the most.

Among the top 10 countries whose people travel the most, Finland ranked third globally for traveling internationally, with each person averaging 1.7 trips annually. In terms of domestic travel, Finland came in second place behind the U.S., averaging 5.8 domestic trips per person. The combined number of domestic and international trips per person put Finland in first place globally as the country with the most frequent travelers per capita.

The Finns' wanderlust appears to be fueled by the country's healthy attitude in separating work from personal life: Finland once again ranked among the top 10 countries with the best work-life balance, a study by Remote shows. Workers enjoy between 24 and 30 days of paid annual leave on top of 12 public holidays, giving the Finns a generous amount of wiggle room to plan a vacation. Paired with a powerful passport granting access to 174 countries worldwide and relatively comfortable monthly salaries — they come in 14th place on the list of highest average salaries in the world in 2025, per CEOWorld Magazine — it's no wonder that Finnish citizens are happy campers when traveling both domestically and abroad. 

Perhaps all of the factors above make the Finns so attuned to travel. The Helsinki Times reports that Finnish people value "diversity, quality, and unique experiences" when it comes to travel, and that sustainability and eco-friendliness play an important role in their choice of itineraries. Finns may opt for public transportation over private cars, or activities that support local producers, for example.

GlobalData's Scandinavia Source Tourism report (via Hotel Management Network) includes Sweden, Estonia, Spain, Greece, and France among the most popular international destinations for the Finns. With the growing popularity of remote work that allows digital nomads to flock to surprisingly affordable cities, Finnish remote workers favor the warmer climates of Costa del Sol, Algarve, or Bali. 

Does the Finnish people's love for travel, then, have a correlation to them being the happiest country on earth? Science seems to say yes. The findings of a 2021 study published in Tourism Analysis found that respondents who traveled more were 7% happier than infrequent or non-travelers, making a small yet significant impact on well-being. It seems like the rest of the world can learn a lesson or two from Finland and other Nordic countries, which quietly top most lists for happiness and quality of life.