Material-intensity database of residential buildings: A case-study of Sweden in the international context

•The material-intesity database includes residential buildings built between 1880 and 2010 in Sweden.•Distinctive patterns of material intensity and composition by building structure and year of construction were identified.•Distribution of mass load in building elements was first time shown.•Single-family buildings show high sensitivity to multiple variables.•Studies on residential buildings at different geographical scales are recommended.