Why is Finland the happiest nation? Don't ask the Finns 25 Apr, 2021 10:52 PM 5 minutes to read Finland has faired better than most nations during the pandemic, which experts say is the result of high trust in government and compliance with restrictions. Photo/John McConnico/The New York Times Finland has faired better than most nations during the pandemic, which experts say is the result of high trust in government and compliance with restrictions. Photo/John McConnico/The New York Times New York Times By: Jenny Gross and Johanna Lemola When governments around the world introduced coronavirus restrictions requiring people to stand 2m apart, jokes in Finland started circulating: "Why can't we stick to the usual 4m?"