Sweden towards a Measurable Circular Economy An Evaluation of Circular Economy Indicators at the National Level

Abstract

Current global development patterns heavily rely on resource extraction, driving environmental pressures and planetary crises. To decouple resource use and environmental impacts from socioeconomic welfare, the transition towards a circular economy (CE) has emerged as a sustainability transition. The International Resource Panel (IRP) emphasises that nations should implement monitoring and follow-up systems to identify transition priorities. The Delegation for Circular Economy recommends Sweden to develop an updated CE strategy, containing new CE objectives with associated indicators that are followed up regularly. Therefore, this study examines international initiatives with the aim to identify, map, and analyse macro-level CE indicators that can contribute to Sweden’s CE monitoring. The methodology combined a literature review with a screening of official national strategies, multilateral guidelines, and monitoring frameworks. To capture practical insights, gaps, and challenges, semi-structured interviews were conducted with international statisticians and policymakers. Furthermore, the identified indicators were mapped to assess their distribution across different CE areas and their data availability in Sweden, while a questionnaire evaluated Swedish stakeholder priorities. The study mapped 82 CE indicators from 8 monitoring frameworks, including Eurostat, the UNECE/OECD, and 5 EU countries. While Belgium and the Netherlands stand out by incorporating strategic, social and environmental indicators, Germany and Austria are actively developing new frameworks. In contrast, Sweden does not have CE indicators connected to its national strategy or continuous financing for CE monitoring. The study finds that indicator selection is a political and strategic choice, influenced by data availability, policy priorities, and differing interpretations of what the CE should encompass. Three potential pathways are presented for Sweden’s future CE monitoring: continuous reporting of existing data to ensure high data availability; expanding the existing data using indicators from international frameworks to capture strategic, social and environmental dimensions; or developing a new national framework tailored specifically to Sweden’s conditions and priorities.