Aitik, just south of Gällivare in northern Sweden, is Sweden's largest open-pit coppermine.
Photo: Boliden Mineral AB.
Swedish mines
Sweden has a history of mining and metal refining stretching back more than a thousand years. Today, Sweden is one of the EU's leading ore and metal producers. Sweden is by far the largest iron ore producer in the EU and is also among the foremost producers of base and precious metals.
Most mines are located in Sweden's three ore regions, Norrbotten, Skelleftefältet and Bergslagen. At the beginning of the 20th century, Sweden had about 250 mines. Today, the number has decreased to 12 active metal mines, while total production has more than doubled.
Many Swedish engineering companies have their origins in the mining industry and are today world leaders in mining equipment and mining technology. Besides metal mines, there is also a major industrial mineral production of which a part is directly linked to the production of metals.
Read more about industrial minerals
SGU issues publications which describe and report statistics from the mining and mineral industry. You will find the different publications on the right of this page.
SGU produce statistics on how much metal, minerals and aggregates are produced in Sweden. We present interactive charts and tables that provide an overview of current mineral resources statistics: what is produced and how much, employment and exploration costs.
Last reviewed 2020-10-12