An AMERICAN Reacts to Why Finland and Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S. 

I am from Denmark and i was actualy thinking about moving to America ( California ). But after i did a ton of research about the system, healthcare, infrastructure, educational system etc etc, then i decided that there are absolutely no way that i will move there. My quality of life would be downgraded way too much on every level.."The great America..Land of the free" is just an illusion..like their movies...they look cool, but they are not real

The 5 weeks of paid vacation in Finland is by law, not dependent on employer (some companies/government entities offer more). Also if you get hired at another company, the previous employer must pay accrued (unused) vacation days as money.

America is an incredibly materialistic society. A person is measured by what they have and what they do. If America adds up all their taxes (local,state,federal) with their healthcare costs, they are most likely already paying more than most other western countries.

Dear Nate, please don't expect the things you see in the nordic states from Germany. I live in North Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, so at the borderland to Denmark. And in my opinion, yes we have a social system that works ok, but in comparison to the nordic states we are second league. And the people are much more relaxed. My mom was a local politician and always told me, if you want to know how good a state is, look how it treats the weakiest, the kids, the old people and the helpless ones.

As a numbers guy: ranking high on these indexes is not about the amount of happy people, it´s about having less unhappy people. Less people that are left behind. That requires safety and a functioning system (relative to other countries - since there are problems everywhere).

Nate, you are very welcome in Finland. We have things quite nice over here. Someone would say life is like the (American) Dream actually come true ;) Strong national defence, freedom of life choices, equality and quality education for all. That’s the recipe for happiness in my humble opinion as a humble finn.

Greetings from Denmark Nate! Love your videos! I really respect your open mind towards the rest of the world. A given most places but not in the US it seems. I totally agree that happiness is individual, so it follows that a society's ability to accomodate all individual preferences is a must towards happiness. Add a sense of fairness - that you're treated equally and fair wherever you go, add opportunity - to switch job/career or persue further education, and top up with security - not just towards criminal doings but also social security and economic security. And why be a criminal if you do not have to steal to get by? Allow me to enter a fresh personal experince of 2023: In the beginning of this year I took a bad fall on my bike going to work. I broke 7 ribs multiple places, one collar bone, and punctured a lung. I've been to the hospital to get patched up, and been on sick leave for about a month. My total cost for it all? About 20$ for some painkillers and a bit of morphine at start. No reduction in pay and no medical expenses. Everybody is cheering for me to get back to work but they've had temps to fill in for me, so no one had to work harder while I was gone. On top the doctors found cancer on one of my kidneys while I was hospitalized, so I need to go in and have a kidney removed in March. Sick leave again and probably another 20$. No further treatment needed they say. Should it turn out really bad I have a fine life insurance, and my wife is taken well care of. The kids are well on their way, most have completed their studies and have begun their first jobs, all in different directions of their own choices. No debts. Am I worried? Not one bit. I'm happy. I've always paid my taxes gladly and still do. I'd like to pay more. Cheers.

From Denmark, I would just like to say thank you very much for another fantastic video.

Germany is also a beautiful country. Stunning landscape an great people. You can always visit us in Denmark ❤ In regards to the 2000 dollars. Its called “dagpenge” and the rate is determained by your pay the previous 24 months. Depending on how much you were earning and also if you are responsible for raising children the government is willing to pay up to 24.000 (3400 US) a month for up to a full year. You do have to pay taxes but you have certain deductions that lowers that tax. The system exists as a sort un-employment insurance aswell. When a worker loses or quits his or her job, the person can apply for Dagpenge and receive an income until that person finds a new occupation.

I am! Hi from Denmark. It’s about feeling safe and free, medically, Financially and physically. I have 6 weeks paid vacation and unlimited sickdays. We get 56 weeks paid parental leave

I have 2 part time jobs, have no savings, no proper vacation, mediocre wages and one job is a tipped job who the employer still pays min wage....lot of people/s unhappiness I think comes from lack of security.

Even though happiness can be different for different people, because it is subjective there is one thing that seems to be a common denominator is to have little to none financial problems in our everyday life. Having a good balance in work and time off allows you not only to reduce stress but also gives you time to do whatever makes you happy.

Our european neighbores in the north are... so sovereign and relaxed in the same moment, that is what me, as a german, impress so much )

Just at present Finland and Denmark are probably just happy that they're not Sweden

On my last job I had 6 weeks of payed vacation. One thing they didn't adress is that if you're sick you take a sick leave and while a bit reduced pay, it won't affect your vacation days (Sweden)

Hi Nate, thank you for sharing this with everyone, listening to your comments you made a lot of sense, I have never seen you behave like a lot of people from the US can but not always. An early question which you asked was sort of answered in the video, you asked why people in Europe don't have the same sort of problems as people in the US, and a big difference between us is how the US (both government and employers) at every turn undermine the citizens of the US, with poor job security often leading to people needing more than one and even having three jobs just to to pay rent and put food on the table, the obvious downside is lack of rest and having time away from work, people living in fear of being homeless due to the hectic work load making them ill and losing their job/s. In 1981 I lost my job after being diagnosed with epilepsy, I lost my driving licence so finding another job wasn't easy, in fact at the many job interviews I had as soon as I mentioned the epilepsy I was told no thanks, so a year later my doctor got me a place in college studying human biology, after two years of study and preparing for the exams I was told that I wouldn't be able to take them as they didn't want me to have a seizure due to the stress, this was a huge blow, but in that time I had been doing voluntary work for people with disabilities, I enjoyed this and quite quickly was taken on fully, no pay but I was receiving disability benefits so I wasn't struggling, my rent was partly paid and I had enough for food and little luxuries, I was involved in voluntary work for over 20 years and helped in drawing up the Disability Discrimination Act as well as helping councils around the country to design and build more accessible buildings and shopping centres etc, it wasn't paid work, but it was helping the community and I did have expenses paid for, plus the occasional little gift, but we don't mention that, it really was only a few pounds so was acceptable. So I haven't "worked" most of my working life, but I have contributed many many hours and ideas from a disability aspect, hopefully it has helped others to better enjoy life, people not so fortunate as myself, it only takes a little effort by many to make a big difference. Please don't see this as me bragging, I was bloody annoyed with life, but I couldn't alter the fact of the matter, so doing what I could, what I knew because I was living it, I feel that I contributed, sadly I am seen as a scrounger by those who don't like the long term unemployed, the fact that I am disabled doesn't seem to enter into it because it doesn't fit in with their agenda. Sorry for the long ramble, take care :)

Wherever you are and your circumstances, you have a benchmark of what is a good day and bad day. Ex-pats are the better people to assess where is better to experience real happiness. ie- getting away from bad policing, regular shootings, money and health worries, can I pay my rent if I am ill, work life balance etc. Suddenly you feel a BIG weight lifted from your soul and you feel so content , relieved and happy

I always enjoy your videos, Nate 👍 I feel fortunate that I was born and raised in Scandinavia.

With Winland its this stuborn Lutherian modesty with not needing to make a fuzz about ur self and just taking it easy!!! :)

I'm not going into detail. I am content, but nowhere near happy with where I am in my life. What I can say is, that if I would leave Germany then Norway would be my first choice. It's a great country with unbelievable landscapes and wonderful people. My best friend and me made a Lofoten road trip in 2019. We used Airbnb and one night we had a little wood cabin at a fjord with about 50 m to the sea. I almost wouldn't have left. No one looks condescending at you when you walk into a five star hotel to eat at the restaurant wearing sneakers, jeans and a black hoodie with you favourite metal band on it. And when I talked to the Norwegian people about migrating to Norway everyone said: "That would be great. Welcome." I just love Norway!

🇫🇮 Oh, right: Finnish wildlife. I live in metropolis of Finland. Not in Helsinki, but in that metropolis, in different city. And i like running. On my runs i have ran with all sort of animals: Foxes, deers, hawks, mouse, and rabbits, snakes, frogs, among other common birds. I have seen all them in middle of concrete jungle that is city. Not to mention beautiful landscape when you ran through field, river, or forest.

Hi, I did my working life here in Fnland. I worked at The Finnish Broadcast Company YLE. And the first 10 years we got 6 weeks of vacation a year and after that 7 weeks/year. 4 weeks in summer and 3 weeks in winter. So it varies a little. If you work for the goverment as I did you get more paid time off...

The happiness index measures your life prospects in the country in which you were born. They didn't use a stopwatch to measure how much people smiled in which country. For example, a cleaning lady in the USA probably works several shifts and is still considered poor, her health and education opportunities depend on whether she can pay them. While a cleaning lady in Finland belongs to the middle class, she can study and is entitled to good health care, she can live where she wants, she might just be a millionaire next door, she can go on vacation, she never has to work overtime.

Happiness in Finland and the other Nordic countries is very much a function of trust, honesty and feeling safe. Many Americans who come to Europe say that the first thing they notice is that they feel safe - and relaxed because of that. Some time ago, an experiment was conducted in several European cities to determine which countries' citizens were the most honest. Twelve wallets were dropped in each city at different locations. The result revealed that the Finns were the most honest. Eleven of the twelve wallets were returned. The other countries followed in descending order. The least trustworthy was Portugal with just one wallet returned, and this turned out to have been returned by a visiting Dutch couple. 🙃

there's a vid called "A Very Basic Look at Taxes - Between Denmark and USA" from the channel Travelin' Young, who has been living in Denmark for 5 ish years... they will show and tell, every part there is to think about, and Danes seem to have it a LOT better... PS: take the top 10% of earners away from USA, Denmark, and Finland, and u will see that the avg income is a lot closer

Try to find the video about a kindergarten in the Forrest here in Denmark.. you really need to get a perspective from a child's level to grasp how deep our emotions are developed. And it's a wild ride, but you'll never see freedom in same way again..

Bravo! Finally somebody from the "Country, which name you should not say" gets it!! Best reaction to this video I`ve ever seen and I have seen so many. Just couple of things, this is a little bit old(er), when it comes to the numbers and stats. Finland, 5th time on a row No. 1, Saunas, about 3,3-3,5 million...😁🤩😍The most usual misconceptions are "socialism" and the taxes. The comparison between the "net incomes" is not explained enough to be really understood in "The Nameless Country". Our brutto income minus taxes and other payments "covers almost everything you need in life". Like you said, why not pay "everything" like once a month from your salary!? To me "freedom" is safety for my family, the health of my family, relatives and friends, education of my children, nature and stillness, trust to our Government, Police and other branches. Not to have a "freedom of speech" but a "freedom of expression"! We hate liars, corruption, "hate speech", racism, people who are not what they "let you to believe", people who talk "too much" ="bullshit" and people, who promises a lot but do not mean what they are constantly saying to you. Guess how many empty promises, "invitations" to everywhere to do something nice "together" I got, like just going over for a family dinner during the 15 yrs. I lived in this "Nameless Country"?! Best Regards from Finland!!!!! Keep up with the good work!!

@34:25 You need time for yourself to be happy.

we are saying "You are not a pizza to make everybody happy" "no" is a valid answer ;)

16:40 I don't know about the system in Denmark but here in Finland, the payment you receive from the government depends on your previous salary. Typically you get 80% of your previous salary if you have done your paperwork correctly. Here in Finland, you wouldn't receive 1000 euro stipend to study either. You would get more like 300 euros per month + 80% of the rent in most cases with an option to get government backed student loan.

Iam pleased about the video.happiness comes from your heart. To be happy you have to take the first step.

Yeaah, that World Happiness Report should be named World Contentedness Report in my Finnish mind.

Thank you so much for sharing your perspective. Welcome to Norway!

I have lived i Denmark most of my life. At this point i feel that living "Danishly" boils down to two things, mainly. The first one is trust. Danes are raised to trust others and to be trustworthy. This is not entirely a good thing. But it does make life a lot easier. For instance, we generally feel our politicians can be trusted, and they generally try to be trustworthy. This is not something that is easy to export. The other thing is about slowing down a little. Take time to appreciate your life. Do stuff that you enjoy without timing it or feelibg guilty about it. This is easier when most people are doing it, but really you can do it anywhere. And for most people i guarantee that they will be happier if they slow down a little.

Your previous video made me to follow you. Keep doing your thing 😊👍

The simplest way to look at it, regarding the contenment people have in the nordics, is looking at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid. All the nordic countries more or less, fullfill the bottom two steps of that pyramid for their citizens in some way or another. That makes it much easier to reach the next steps above those two. It is a somewhat simplified way at looking at it, but gives an overall good picture that is easy to understand.

Sweden here! I’ve heard this thing about people leaving babies outside but I honestly don’t think people do this any more! Outside yes but not without being able to see them.

Wise words Nate on final thoughts. There's few things that usually doesn't get mentioned when they are speaking Finnish society. We have very strict and elaborate freedom of belief and religion stated in the constitution. It actually freedom on ideals and background to be exact. It has few parts. First part says that every person has a right to be and believe on whatever they want. On second part it say that no one should not be forced to practice and religious act. These two laws combined tells a bunch of Finnish attitude against freedom. First comes the respect of other person's freedom and then yours. For me this is the one of the biggest corner stones of happiness. As long as I'm not violating others' freedom of choice or discriminating anyone I can do whatever. In every detail of the Finnish society there's a glimpse of this idea. We go to sauna naked because we believe that deep down we are very similar. We listen when someone speaks because we believe she has something important to say. Anyone can found a new political party and get the representative to the parliament. Parliament has multiple parties because opinions and matters have more than two sides. Every person has a one vote.

I like your videos, very down to earth and understanding. Welcome to visit Finland, we are quite quiet but not angry.😉😁

love you dude.. ;O) love youre comments ;O)

In one of your clips, you said that you feel so (I think you said „stupid/shame/guilty or bad“ being an American. This popped through my head from time to time the last days and I just wanted to say to you, that you should not at all feel any guilt or other negative thoughts. Why should you? You‘re not responsible for the US system, you‘re one of the citizens who is abused by it. I really like to see all your clips and I am very thankful for people like you who invest their (small!) time to this to share with us. Thank you very much for this.

And now you know why we look confused when we are called socialists as something negative. Love this programme, hi from Denmark

About being busy and stressful think of this. "You only have one exceptional life, so it's better to be a little late, and still make it to your destination. Than racing to get ahead and possibly, be too fast, that you end up in your next life earlier than you intended." Does that make sense?

By now 2023, Finland has been elected the happiest country in the world for the 6th time in a row.

So I am a dane. And I earn enough that having a job -and health-insurrance would be cheaper than paying the taxes. However I still love to pay my taxes as it helps other people. The thing is that, in turn, helping others also helps me. Less people struggling means less crime. People loving their jobs means my daily life is nicer. I love my job enough that I easily work in evenings and weekends sometimes simply because it is fun. On the other hand taking an hour or two out during officehours is also something I do, and so do my bosses and collegues. It is balanced and that makes us much more productive. In the end we all win, and we all know and do our part.

26:50 Contrary to Germany, Finland has "Jokamiehenoikeus" which means that anybody can walk on any forest and swim in any lake without thinking who owns it. However, that only covers forests so you cannot walk on yards or fields. And you can only walk. And if you find a fence in the middle of the forest, that is usually a military training site and it would be good idea not to walk there. Use of any motorised vehicle requires permit from the land owner.

True that, Nate. FINANCIAL FREEDOM. I love your podcast.❤

Being granted 1 hour of “vacation” by your boss after three full years of work would be considered slavery in Norway, not freedom.

I haven't seen all of your videos hehe so I don' know how long u had it, but dude, I found myself having to watch the first 42 seconds over again coz I was just studying your new? (at least to me) studio setup, and I'm equipped with an annoying ability to not look at the set and listen ot what you say at the same time so :P... It looks great!

Denmark here. Part of what makes me happy is the security. Not just the security against crime, but really security in all senses of the word. Here is some examples of what I mean. - We have very high level of trust, because there is honesty all round. Like say you forget your bag on a train, there is a very high likelihood someone will find it and hand it in to either the train company or the police and then you will have it back all content included be it laptop, phone and even cash. - Get in trouble somehow. Ask any stranger and he or she will help. I once got stranded a 100 miles from home after missing my train after a concert, this had me hitch hiking through the night to get home. I never felt in danger. Strangers gave me rides, took detours to help get in the right direction and one guy even lend me a fancy high visibility jacket as my black clothes wasn't ideal for hitch hiking in the night - he just gave his address so I could mail the jacket to him afterwards. - I am sure the everyone I know here will always have enough to have a good life, and the same goes for strangers and my self. Even if someone isn't able to work for some reason, then he or she will a place to live and if there is children then they will be ensured they can pursue what ever education their interest and talents make them choose - meaning even parents down on luck know their children have a bright future.

Reduction of stress is key.

Here in Canada most people do appreciate how free we are and even really poor people like us look forward to each new day

Tak!

I like how you have changed 😊

are you happy? yes...sometimes..truly happy? in some moments in very happy moment or special moments, yes then I "shout it out loud"..to the sky )))

The "Äitiyspakkaus" (the box with items for baby) comes via mail before the baby is even born, not received from the hospital.

In Denmark you get 2.3 days paid vacation a month. You Can save the days for 1.5 years ore use Them right away that is Your own choise. This is by law. Then alot of people have an extra week. I work weekends, and for every 10 sunday hours i get 5 hours extra vaccation. And for10 hours afther 5 in the afternoon i get one hour extra vaccation,

Please react to robe trotting! 🙏🙏

safety and communality in society is happiness.

The American dream is actually a nightmare

You should watch ' Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö ' . See our happiness.

our pay doesnt even go down. Danish father here

Happiness is maybe not so subjective.. What about pripciple of American psychologist (hungarian origin) Mihály Csikszentmihaly : Flow (and other books). This guy have made experiment: asked thousandd of people from different countries and social groups, if they are happy and WHAT make the happy.. And, surprisingly, find same reasons.. So shoe cleaner in Bangladesh and stock dealer from Wall Street could be happy, and basically Same things make them happy.. Interesting pripciple, Flow, also Flow in work, etc...

19:10 I think the correct way to think about how much tax you're really paying is to think how money you actually receive after mandatory expenses. Taxes and medical insurance should be considered mandatory and as such, you should consider tax+insurance as the total amount of taxes in the US and in most cases that alone is higher tax than in Finland or Denmark.

As a dane I find the whole Happinass question hard. I consider myself lucky and in general pretty happy... I have lots of friends and not any real economic worries. I am well educated, well liked and I have never been unemployed. I have a good health. But I still struggle with periods of sadness and depression. In my case I am 42 yrs old and never really managed to find a wife and start a family. God knows I tried, but somehow the 3 serious relationships I have had all ended suddently without the women ever really telling me any reason exept they didn't love me anymore. I feel like my chances for a family and the journey through life with a loving spouse and kids has sailed me by... I struggle knowing that my life will most likely become more and more lonely as I age. As I said I have plenty of good friends, so I will have some company... but the everyday life is a lonesome deal. Go to work, go home and entertain myself, sleep, repeat. And when I retire I will be worn down and tired like all my friends, so we will have less and less energy to meet up. and they will spend their enegy on theyr families first. So do I feel like the most happy ppl in the world? Not really... in fact I sometimes feel ashamed that I am not happier, because I have noone but myself to blame for it... but. If I had lived in any other country I would have been dealing with the same issues PLUS a whole lot more. And that makes me happy to atleast be a dane!

Something very strong in Finland is their respect for education & educators. They have the best education system in the world & teaching is a respected career. Sadly for the US their system is going in the opposite direction.

You paying higher taxes "for others" means kid next door gets free education, child services, healthcare and all benefits a child can get. He doesn't become burden on society and then maybe in his thirties becomes semi-self-dependent person after being incarcerated for a decade. Now take in consideration all children in the US that didn't get any chance at "happy life" and see what you get. You get city of tents in the city of angels.

Another paraphrased quote on the difference between a 5 day and a 4 day workweek: "Work expands to fill the time allotted to it." In other words, the amount that is accomplished in a 4 day workweek is about the same as that accomplished in a 5 day workweek. It's a case of the "law" of diminishing returns.

an american woman Jessica xx wrote a book "The Danish way of parenting" (youtube) she explains hygge much better than anyone else

From a Buddhist point of view: "Desirelessness is the highest bless," --Nisargadatta

They take tax from this support you get when you're not in work, same goes to pension, you pay tax two times here in Denmark. Yes, you get around two thousand after tax, which is around 38-41%

The tax is around 35-40%, but your Healthcare and tuition (among other things) are covered. Some pay a higher tax, on some of there income, not all on of it. There's a fixed tax up to a certain income. When you reach an income higher, you pay more tax on that extra income. Not your entire income. We're not Socialists. We're based on a market economy and regulated Capitalism. Companies don't run our countries, Our Government and Unions do. And we regard Unions being the reason for creating what we have. Some may agree. But they rarely live in Denmark anymore. Love your VLOG!

Differance to USA is, that the scandinavian countries are way more independent from simply said... buisiness lobby pressure and " influence to rule this or that"... or not ??? like in my GER ) .. and i love the Sauna...not separaterd ...men and women, but only to sit on a sitting towel !!! )

In Finland if you are unemployed, they take 20% of your unemployment money. But the lowest net money is 598€ in month what you actually get, plus rental care...

Dont think of happiness as jumping up and down in pure joy 24/7. It's more of a feeling of contentment and less worries about life. Also jusr disclaiming that everyone can afford quitting their jobs like that. Education is as it seems. But not all has the financial freedoms the exemplified family does.

We have a running joke in Finland that all the unhappy people have already offed themselves, so thats why in stats we are so happy. Also, i have never spoken to most of my neighbours.

All income is taxed in Denmark, so the 2000 is taxed. But, the first X is tax free, then the remainder is at the lowest tax bracket. I'm guessing 38% of the upper 1000, ie. 380 total in taxes.

I might be able to provide a simple and accurate measure of happiness. All you need is for Pharrell to rework that grammy hit from 2013 with collaboration from Droopy and Sharpo the Clown. Too happy.

Watching this makes me sad. 😢Almost all the things that were mentioned making Finland happy are now threatened by our new right wing government. I'm not a political person and I actually probably will benefit from some of the changes they are making (since I'm upper middle class), but it makes me so disheartened that their new policies hit the lowest income people the hardest. What makes Finland such a safe and great country is that everyone is taken care of. Even if I didn't care about others I would gladly pay more taxes if it meant that I didn't have to worry about getting robbed by someone who has fallen through the safety net. The well being of others is also my well being.

I think the US is stuck in an existential crisis on all levels. Everything is made more difficult than it needs to be, because otherwise you'd probably have to stop and think. Everything is rushed and made meaningless, and this creates an equal counter force. You guys could live in the best place on earth, with absolute global security and super progress, but I think deep down inside it scares all of you so much. This isn't a judgement, it's more of an observation. The fear of life without all of the stupid issues you guys make for yourself can be frightening.

I've given up on happiness

You are welcome in Denmark. Hope you make it out of the US.

🇫🇮 facts from Finland: 5 weeks of vacation from a job. After 40 years of work career in Finland from any job you have earned roughly 1.2 million euros. So in Finland literally every worker is millionare. Finland is one the safest countries ever. One police officer from L.A. visited in Finland and was traveling with local police of Vaasa and said: "It's midnight. I am standing in center of city, there are bars. There are no cops anywhere and people are doing their own thing. There are no crimes happening. In L.A you need to look every 10 minutes behind you, in case of someone trying to harm you."

The 8 months off to think about it. I'm in norway, and this sounds a bit like the whole truth isn't told. I may eat my words later :). But usually to have any rights for any pay if u leave work is if you either are on paid leave to study then come back (benefits company), or if u get a kid, or if u actually - lose - your job. If I quit the job voluntarily because I'm bored and need time to think - not gonna happen that I get any money from the government. I'd have to have some kinda illness. Just saying - if that was in norway, it would match totally with what she says if she was for some reason sick - but hey - they might have other systems there than here. I'm just used to thinking of the nordics as very very similar in both culture and how the countries are run. :)

Yes, taxes are deducted from on social support in Denmark

Hey Nate what are you waiting for? come to Europe LOL🤣🤣🤣 Seriously i have a question for you and your wife would life in Germany or any country here in western Europe be so bad? Western European country's are not third world country's life over here is great in many cases life over here is so much better than living in the United States of America the so called land of the free it's not. Other than that a great video keep up the great work Nate👍 And greetings from the Netherlands🇳🇱

We pay much in taxes here in Denmark. But you should not focus on how much we all pay in tax but how much is left when ALL the bills are paid. I you look at it that way the difference is not that big. But as a Dane I don´t have to worry about being able to pay my hospital bill if I get ill. I can get an education without going bankrupt. I can send my kids to daycare without having to pay that much. If I need medication I get subsidies so I don´t have to spend that much during the year and so on. So all In all I´m satisfied paying higher taxes in solidarity with the rest of the Danes. I love the idea of paying taxes for the common good. It will also benefit me in the long run.

Travelling Young and Globe trotting, are both Americans Living in Denmark talking about Living in Denmark, i Think they are from Chicago and Philadelphia.

In the USA, the car lobby destroyed walkable cities, public transit and its own old towns and cultural sights. The people were car dependent early on and kids, disabled, seniors and the economic poor are excluded from participation of life in general because they can not drive to next grocery store, physician office, school, playground, clubs, libraries, parks etc. in the 80s the gov under Reagan destroyed the worker unions and worker rights and defendet the ideology that citizens should be independent from government and police themselves and defend themselves with guns. that is the freedome USA talk about. The economy in USA declined since the 80s so much that the younger generation can not afford car, house and college education for themselves or their children like the "boomer" generation could. The american dream is a lost case. Social welfare states in Europe were formed while and after Industrialisation era and the right wing capitalist and conservativ politicians feared that if they do not care for the weak , the poor, the working class, ill, old people, children, the people could turn to communist fascist parties and that they could take over. The social programs were introduced and communism was avoided in Europe. the socialist elements were implemented to avoid crime due to poverty, reduce corruption that could lead to decline of society, reduce cost explosion by ill and disabled workers, mothers, children. In German clinics, the patient pays for each day 10 Euro, but maximum 28 days per year. a three day stay would have co pay of 30 euros. the clinics do not give a starter box for parent but each child get to age 18 or 25 if they go to college, monthly payment, child support, 200 euro from the state. The state subsidies kindergarden, housing program and colleges or universities. The German universities have no tuition, only a small co -pay each semester for under 100 euro, plus if someone wants it, a half year public transit ticket cost. in average, a semester, which is in germany 6 months, a semester copay is around 300 euro. students do not have to own a car, cities are all walkable and have great public transit. The health insurance covers everything but patients pay lttle copay , like 10 euro for an ambulance ride. 15 euro for a package of physiotherapy sessions. The contenment, (not happiness or lucky feeling) comes from the options life offers and the financial safety net. When kindergarden is affordable, colleges and universities have no tuition, state pays money for each child for expenses, the kids are independent and parent do not have to own and pay for a car, cycling is safe and keeps healthy, health insurance have only minimum copay, one can find time to think about life goals that brings one own abilities into pratice and experience contenment. People in Germany complain a lot about their system, since they have no real life experience in other continents or countries. they think their high school is bad. in my experience, the german middle school is at the level of US high school and their highschool and abitur is as good as a bachelor degree. They complain about their train or public transit system when its 10 minutes late and think its the worst of the world while US citizens never experienced a real transit network that is clean , save and reliable for a big region connecting small and big cities and regions like in Germany. German government, social democrats installed early on worker rights and recreation time, 30 workdays or 6 weeks paid vacation with full payment is mandatory. sick leave with full pay is 6 weeks, after that insurance take over with reduction. German want quality over quantitiy and they want efficiency. they plan ahead, thorough analysis and discussion and then have a time set to execute. since the workers and parents are rested well, they come to work and have energy and concentration to work efficient and deliver quality. at sundays, the shops, grocery stores are closed so everybody has recreation time, family time, can go to church and or rest. I wish people in USA would not just escape and migrate elsewhere but stay and fight. European citizens fought for their unions, worker rights, women fought for their rights, children advocates fought for their rights, university students fought for tution free universities. all the rights that citizens have, have been fought since industrilisation when workers started strike and unions were formed. People in USA need to see that they need a system change before USA declines completely.

I have 7 cats and I’m danish

First - let's call it content instead of happy. Then, I think it has a lot to do with us having jobs we like. Not only the good worker's conditions, but If you want to become a doctor, you become one. You don't become a doctor or a lawyer, because of the money. Education being free, meens you don't end up with a job you hate. Salaries being fairly equal, you still have a good life, if you're "just" flipping burgers. Take my garbage man: He's an intelligent man, who didn't care for school. He starts work when it suits him, drives an excellent truck, and he plans his own working day. He's in control! He lives in a nice appartment with garden and harbour view. He has a car, he spoils his grandchildren, and once a year he treats the Mrs. to a 3 week jungle holiday on the other side of the globe. He might not be particularly happy, but he hasn't got much to complain about, eh?

hey im from denmark and could i propose to see travelin' young channel they are Amerca's live in Danmark, maybe to learning something, i know they have video about taxes, Denmark vs. USA.

You say that there is no corruption in USA. What do you think of “legal” lobbying of politicians. That is seriously bad.

Social mobility

someone tell me if there's a machine operator job in denmark.

We have actual freedom, is why.. We can quit our jobs and move to a different location at any given time. We wont lose medical benefits or acces to schools for our children. We can chose and pick any education we qualify for, were actually doing something for the environment, we pay our politicians plenty enough that they arent corrupted, we have transparancy in the political proces, we have equality and infrastructure that just work, we have consumerprotection and paid maternityleave/paternityleave as well and you wont lose your job over it, we can trust our neighbours and leave strollers outside a supermarket while we go inside to shop, can leave our jackets and purse at the table in the restaurant while we take a dance, we have 5 weeks of paid vacation.. We basically have everything. - or at least we have enough that we dont miss anything. And isnt that how you should meassure wealth?? NOT by what you have, but by what you dont need. We dont need anything. We have it alrdy

All adults in DK pay tax on their income. The tax varies from person to person and the situation you are in. SU, which we call the system that adults use during education, is also liable for tax.

I am from sweden .we have alot tax but nowone is kontent nowerdays.jobs are rare here if you havet studie in teknikal computer Jobs.Now iam in my fivties and must work in cleaningjobs.

I'm gonna give you a typical Danish answer.. I'm not unhappy 😂

Money is important