Happiness at Home survey

Home is often said to be the most important place in the world. But how important is the home to the happiness of Finns?

Middle-aged couple sitting in front of a sofa.

Asuntosäätiö’s Happiness at Home survey 

In our annual Happiness at Home survey, we investigated the importance of home for the happiness of Finns and what constitutes happiness at home. The most recent data collection for the survey was carried out in April January 2026. 1,613 respondents, representing Finns aged 18–69, participated in the population-wide survey.

The Happiness at Home survey has investigated the importance of the home for Finns’ happiness and Finns’ perceptions of housing since 2021. 

Throughout the history of the survey, home proves to be the most important factor that increases happiness for Finns, along with health. Partner/spouse, financial situation, friends and children or grandchildren increase happiness the second most.  

Previous Happiness at Home surveys 

  • The Happiness at Home survey has investigated the state of happiness of Finns and the importance of home for happiness since 2021. Every year, our research has shown that home, along with health and loved ones, is invariably the most important factor that increases happiness. 
  • The first Happiness at Home survey carried out in 2021 showed that the happiness experienced at home is increased most by the safe location of the home as well as one’s own space and peace. According to the survey carried out a year later, positive emotions were felt at home less than before, and anxiety, depression and uncertainty had, on the contrary, intensified. The experience of loneliness and the importance of belonging to some kind of community as part of happiness also came up in the Happiness at Home 2022 survey. 
  • Communities remained as important sources of happiness for Finns in the Happiness at Home 2023 survey. The survey showed, for example, that those who visit their friends, relatives or neighbors more often feel happier than those who go for a visit less.   
  • In 2023, our Happiness at Home survey also investigated for the first time feelings related to different spaces in the home. Among Finns, the most strongly connected feeling at home is tranquility, which is the most important feeling not only in the living room, but also in the bedroom, sauna and bathroom. 
  • In 2024, the survey investigated for example the average time Finnish people spend at home per day. The survey showed, for example, that nearly half of us spend as much time at home as possible, and three out of four describe themselves as home-oriented. On average, Finns spend as much as 16 hours a day at home.
  • In 2025 our Happiness at Home survey topics included Finns’ favourite sounds at home, and according to the survey, it is silence. The survey also explored Finns’ eating habits at home – one in four enjoys their meals on the sofa.

The national Home Day invites you to spend time at home on Saturday, 10th of October 2026

Home is the most important place in the world and an important source of happiness – that’s why home deserves its own day in the calendar. Home Day is celebrated annually on the second Saturday of October. You can easily participate in Home Day by doing things you like – enjoying your own peace or even having a coffee with a neighbor, for instance.