Finders keepers, losers weepers: These are the most and least honest countries in the world

The good people of Finland are the world’s most honest citizens, while the Portuguese need to take a long, hard look at themselves if an experiment carried out by Reader’s Digest is anything to go by.

Admittedly, perhaps we shouldn’t make such sweeping generalizations based on one “study,” although the results are fascinating nevertheless.

Dropping wallets around the world

Reporters from the magazine dropped wallets in parks in 16 cities around the world, with New York the American representative. In total, 192 wallets were dropped—12 in each city—and each contained the local equivalent of $50, a cell phone number, business cards, coupons, and a family photo.

The aim of the experiment was to see which city boasts the most “honest” citizens by virtue of how many wallets were returned.

Of the 192 wallets, 90 (47%) were returned, while the old “finders keepers” approach was applied to the remaining 100.

Helsinki leads the way, New York respectable

People living in Helsinki, Finland, showed the highest level of human decency, returning 11 of the 12 wallets dropped. “Finns are naturally honest,” one of the returners told Reader’s Digest.

Mumbai, India, came in second place with nine returned wallets, while New Yorkers did the United States reasonably proud by handing back eight, tying for third with Budapest, Hungary.

Portugal and Spain at the bottom

At the other end of the spectrum, Lisbon, Portugal, let itself down by giving back only one of the 12 wallets, and that reportedly came courtesy of a Dutch couple on holiday. In neighboring Spain, only two of the wallets dropped on the streets of Madrid were returned, making residents of the Spanish capital the second “least honest.”

Is it safe to declare Finland, and Helsinki, the most honest place on Earth? Perhaps we need a slightly bigger sample size before declaring citizens of the Finnish capital the outright winners.

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