Sweden is the fourth and final country featured in this series on countries represented in the Forest Europe’s General Coordinating Committee (GCC), alongside Germany, Albania and UK. Here Liselott Eriksson, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure gives us a picture of the Swedish forests and forest policy.

The Swedish forest is a strategic resource for a resilient Sweden – supporting climate action, job creation and sustainable growth. The forest sector accounts for approximately 10 percent of Sweden’s total goods exports. The national forest program, with the vision “The forest – the green gold – shall contribute to jobs and sustainable growth throughout the country, as well as to the development of a growing bioeconomy”, is a cornerstone in the implementation of Sweden’s national forest policy.

Science-based forest governance 

“Sweden has a long and well-established tradition of forest research and decision-making based on systematically collected forest data. Our national forest inventory was established as early as 1923”, says Liselott Eriksson, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure.

Today, Sweden is internationally recognized for its strong forest research sector, which plays a vital role in supporting sustainable forest management and driving innovation. The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is currently ranked as the third-best university in the world in the field of agriculture and forestry, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.

Ownership and responsibility

Sweden is one of the most forested countries in Europe, with nearly 70 percent of its land area covered by forests. Approximately half of this forested land is owned by around 300,000 private family forest owners. A quarter is owned by private companies, while the remaining quarter is held by the state, the Church of Sweden, and other entities.  Swedish forest policy is based on forest owners taking personal responsibility and having an interest in managing their forests in a way that ensures high-quality timber production while preserving biodiversity. The basis of Swedish forest policy is that environment and production are equally important goals. The Swedish Forest Agency which operates independently under the Ministry plays a central role in facilitating dialogue among stakeholders, ensuring that forest policy and management reflect a broad spectrum of interests and expertise.

Active forest management in a boreal landscape

As Sweden is a long country—approximately 1,600 kilometers from north to south—its forests span several vegetation zones, though the boreal zone dominates most of the country, with Scots pine, Norway spruce, and birch as the most common tree species.  

Forests are primarily managed through clear-cutting practices, where about one percent of the productive forest land is harvested annually, and replanting is mandatory under Sweden’s Forestry Act.

“To assess how developments in the forest contribute to Sweden’s forest policy goals, which are reported annually to the Swedish Parliament, we use several of the indicators that we also report to Forest Europe,” Liselott Eriksson explains.

Forest biomass in Sweden, as in many other European countries, has steadily increased over recent decades, with an average annual growth of 121 million forest cubic meters between 2015 and 2023. Regarding forests available for harvesting, growth continues to exceed harvesting levels, and nearly all harvested trees are used for wood products, energy, and bio-based materials.

Integrated biodiversity conservation

In Sweden, nature conservation is not separate from forestry—it’s embedded within it. The country combines formally protected areas with voluntary efforts by forest owners to preserve biodiversity.

As of 2024, 27.1% of Sweden’s forest land was excluded from timber production. This includes: Formally protected areas (9.4%) such as national parks, nature reserves, biotope protection zones, and Natura 2000 sites. Voluntary set-asides (5.0 %), where landowners choose to conserve forest areas. Consideration zones (1.9%), left untouched during logging to safeguard biodiversity, cultural heritage, or water environments. Low-productivity forest land (10.8%), legally protected for its ecological value despite minimal timber yield.

This integrated approach reflects Sweden’s commitment to sustainable forest management including biodiversity conservation.

Wildlife balance and site adaptation

Browsing damage caused by wildlife is the leading cause of forest damage in Sweden, with estimated annual revenue losses of 1.3–1.4 billion SEK. In addition to reducing populations of ungulates, improved site adaptation, such as increasing the amount of forage through more pine regeneration on suitable sites, helps restore the balance between forest and wildlife. Site adaptation – putting the right tree in the right place – is essential to avoid unsuitable planting, improve forest health and productivity, and promote biodiversity by creating varied forest structures that preserve ecological functions.

Forests in climate mitigation

Swedish forestry is central to climate mitigation, delivering benefits through renewable forest products and bioenergy that replace fossil alternatives, and through carbon absorption in forests, soils, and wood products. Circular use of forest materials further strengthens these gains.

In 2023, Sweden’s forests and wood products removed 36.7 million tons of CO₂ equivalents. To secure long-term benefits, Sweden is investing in forest growth, health, and a sustainable circular bioeconomy. Greater use of forest-based materials, such as insulation and fiberboard, supports carbon storage and renewable construction. Building with wood reduces reliance on fossil-intensive materials and enables low-carbon industrialized processes while storing carbon over time.

Wood construction and low-carbon innovation

Sweden leads in timber construction: about 90% of single-family homes are built in wood, and the share of new multi-family buildings with wooden frames doubled between 2015 and 2021, now reaching 14–18% of new residential construction.

For the Swedish government, a sustainable bioeconomy, a long-term increase in the availability of sustainable biomass, a circular economy, and climate adaptation are crucial elements of effective climate action that should be promoted nationally, within the EU, and internationally.

Sweden’s commitment as Chair of Forest Europe

As Chair of Forest Europe 2025–2026, Sweden is committed to advancing sustainable forest management across the region. By sharing knowledge, strengthening policy dialogue, and promoting science-based decision-making, Forest Europe provides a vital platform for collaboration among countries facing common challenges.  

“It is crucial that we collaborate to share best practice and develop forest management. We see great opportunity for dialogue between ministers on how to address current challenges through relevant policy decisions based on Forest Europe’s indicators”, Liselott Eriksson concludes.