Quantitative analysis of the evolution of innovations at a national systems level is not always possible due to the lack of reliable, comprehensive and adequate data sets. Therefore, managerial practice among organisations as well as policy decision‐making is often myopic and uninformed about actual dynamics. In the Swedish case, there are promising data sets, even if the adequacy of existing variable definitions needs to be explored and debated. Official data collected by the central statistics authority SCB (Statistics Sweden) includes several potentially relevant variables on all private and public organisations in Sweden and their employees. These data are compiled into time series for a number of years, which enables longitudinal analysis. Data can also be merged with other data sets on the environmental goods and services sector and energy consumption data, and therefore allow for a detailed “demographic” or “population ecology” analysis of environmentally oriented or environmentally friendly innovation since at least 2003. In this paper, these databases are described in some detail. In particular, problems of definitions and measurement are discussed, and some initial descriptive statistics are presented. Further, the paper advocates the use of models inspired by population ecology and demography in analysing existing data. In particular, it is suggested that interactive diffusion models may enhance the understanding of the evolution of green innovations and their dynamics. A dynamic understanding of the“greening” of the innovation system is a critical asset in the development of tools to be used for continuous improvements in both policy‐making and the management of innovation in organisations.