For non-metallic minerals and metal ores the picture is slightly different: Sweden, known as a successful mining country by European and global standards, exports the vast majority of this resource group. With metals and minerals representing nearly one-tenth of the nation's total export value,[37] Sweden is the main source of Europe's iron ore production, and provides smaller but significant quantities of zinc, cobalt and copper.

In addition to its abundant mineral resources, Sweden is known for its vast forests: covering around 70% of the country's area, Swedish forests are largely actively managed, making the nation a world leader in paper, pulp and sawn wood production. Despite its international reputation, slightly over half of Sweden's biomass extraction fulfils national demand—especially owing to the increasing use of biofuels for transport, power generation and heating since the advent of the 21st century. Largely driven by policy decisions, solid biomass fuels—such as wood and pellets—have contributed substantially to district heating generation: around two-thirds of the total in 2016.[38] Indeed, our analysis finds a comparatively small proportion of biomass waste ends up incinerated (without energy recovery) or in landfill—the vast majority is rather used for energy recovery. Biomass extraction is considered carbon neutral, to a degree—which is driving rapid extraction rates. This is not without consequences: the loss of old growth forests, driven by an interest in maximising production and timber yields, is catastrophic for biodiversity—especially when replaced by new monoculture plantations.[39] Extraction rates outpacing reproduction is putting increasing pressure on land use.