A country with functioning institutions and low levels of corruption is likely to significantly make its people happier because it makes them trust each other deeply, according to a philosopher from the world’s happiest country.

Finnish philosopher, author and researcher Frank Martela says research shows people are the happiest in countries where the institutions are relatively well-functioning with the lowest possible corruption levels.

The World Happiness Report ranked Finland as the happiest country in the world for the sixth year in a row.

Meanwhile, a global study last year revealed the Maltese are the angriest people in the EU and a Eurobarometer survey revealed only 39 per cent of Maltese have confidence in their fellow citizens to defend democracy in Malta, the lowest score among all EU countries.

They also show little confidence in institutions, including politicians and political parties, the courts, the media, public administration and civil society organisations.

Invited by Kenneth Vella, Maltese envoy to Finland and Estonia, Martela was recently in Malta to lead a conference on the meaning of life – a subject he has been researching and lecturing on for decades.

He said people tend to think there must be something in the way Nordic people live that makes them happier, but in fact it has very little to do with culture and very much to do with institutions.

In countries where institutions work well, people will naturally trust them, he said, but what is most fascinating is that in that context, people will also trust each other in remarkable ways.

Dropped wallets

Last summer, the Reader’s Digest magazine dropped wallets in 16 cities around the world as an experiment.

Its reporters wanted to see how many of the 12 wallets dropped in each city would be returned to the owners, and which cities had the most finders-keepers. Each wallet contained a phone number, a family photo of the owner and the equivalent of $50.

Finland’s capital Helsinki emerged the most honest city, with finders returning 11 out of the 12 wallets.

Portugal’s capital Lisbon emerged the most dishonest. Only one of the 12 wallets there was returned and the couple who returned it were not even locals. They were tourists visiting from Holland.

Martela explained that people tend to mimic the behaviour they expect from other people. They will return the wallet if they feel someone else would have done the same for them, and this is how people in the happiest countries are likely to behave.

“They will do the right thing because they trust that someone else would have done the same for them,” he said.

“Because Finland managed to keep institutions working with as little corruption as possible, people trust them and each other more, and they naturally become better citizens, which in turn makes society even happier.”

Similarly, in countries where institutions are relatively dysfunctional and where corruption is publicly evident, people will also naturally distrust each other, he said. They constantly believe most other people around them will swindle them up if they get the chance.

“That is why in these countries people often don’t become happier when they make more money,” he said.

“Even though they might have become richer through increased business or corrupt methods, they still feel like they cannot trust other people. They feel like the system would not give them the treatment they deserved if they played fair. And those factors impact happiness no matter how much money they personally have.”

Happiness is also significantly higher in countries with freedom of speech and the freedom that allows people to lead a life as they wish.

Strangely however, the world’s happiest country – Finland – has also been grappling with above-average suicide rates, although figures show those rates dramatically dropped across all age groups and the country’s suicide rate now is half what it was in the 1990s.

What Malta does right

Two things Malta gets right are free healthcare and education – both of which, according to Martela, greatly impact the prolonged happiness of a nation.

In countries like Malta and Finland, people can have peace of mind knowing they will always get high quality healthcare and education, no matter how bad their lives turn out, and they can go to the best schools irrespective of their family’s wealth or social status.

Meanwhile, people in countries like the US are more likely to live in fear of losing money because almost everything, including basic services like health and education, must be bought. That is likely to have a negative impact on well-being.

Weather not a big factor

But one thing Malta might think works in its favour might actually not.

While research shows sunshine can increase people’s happiness, the climate does not seem to have a long-term effect on people’s happiness, Martela said, because most people get used to it.

People do react to changes in weather, but not for long, he said. The first day of sunshine in spring tends to increase happiness, and so does the first rain after a scorching summer, but people adapt to those conditions after a while and it does not make them happier long-term.

“It’s like when you buy a new house. At the beginning it feels good but after a while you get used to it and your happiness will return to the levels at which it was before you bought it. The same goes for many material possessions like a fancier car – it becomes the new normal and no longer boosts your happiness,” he said.

“On the other hand, extreme weather negatively impacts happiness when it gets intolerably hot or cold for sustained periods of time.”

What deeply makes life better

So, why don’t we also get used to functional institutions and low corruption, and to freedom and free healthcare and education? Why do those specific factors produce longer-lasting happiness that does not fade away?

It is because those aspects affect what deeply and profoundly makes life good for human beings – trust, relationships, freedom and a society that genuinely cares for its people, Martela said.

He acknowledged that for the poor and for people deprived of basic needs, more money will lead to more happiness, but only to a certain extent. Beyond a certain income additional money typically does not increase happiness.

Traffic, the environment and migration

A lot of traffic and lack of green spaces have the impact one would expect. Research showed that when people were asked to walk the same route through a public garden and through the street, people who took the green route arrived at their destination happier. And the Nordic countries tend to have huge green spaces, even in the heart of the busiest cities.

Meanwhile, research also shows the longer people spend in traffic or commuting, the more it impacts their well-being.

Migration is a harder issue to deal with because it could cause a nation to grow unhappier if integration is not done well, he said. But that does not mean integration cannot produce even more happiness for everyone.

“Take Vancouver in Canada, for example. Almost half the population there was born out of the country but it is ranked one of the most livable cities in the world and citizens are quite happy.

“It is possible to create that much-needed trust, even between different peoples. It’s not easy, but it works.”