Industry Classifications

We provide definitions and relevant links for the following Industry Classifications:


  1. ANZSIC, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification

  2. Ateco, ATività ECOnomiche

  3. GICS, Global Industry Classification Standard

  4. ICB, Industry Classification Benchmark

  5. ISIC, International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities

  6. NACE - The Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community

  7. NAICS - North American Industry Classification System

  8. SIC, Standard Industrial Classification

  9. TRBC, Thomson Reuters Business Classification

  10. UKSIC, United Kingdom Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities


ANZSIC, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification

Managed by: The Australian Bureau of Statistics 

Consists of: A 5 character alphanumeric code with a 4 level hierarchy: Division, Sub-division, Group and Class.


Ateco, ATività ECOnomiche

Managed by: ISTAT 

Consists of: A 6 digit code and matches the NACE system to the 4 digit class.


GICS, Global Industry Classification Standard

Managed by: Standard & Poor's, Morgan Stanley CapitalInternational 

Consists of: An 8 digit code with a 4 level hierarchy: Sectors, Industry Groups, and Sub-Industries.


ICB, Industry Classification Benchmark

Managed by: FTSERussell  

Consists of: A 4 digit code with a 4 level hierarchy: Industries, Supersectors, Sectors, and Subsectors.


ISIC, International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities

Managed by: United Nations StatisticsDivision 

Consists of: A 4 digit code with a 4 level hierarchy: Section, Division, Group and Class

The International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities is a United Nations industry 4 digit classification system recommended by the UN Statistical Commission for all Member-states of United Nations to make use of it either by: (a) Adopting this system of classification as a national standard, or (b) Rearranging their statistical data in accordance with this system for purposes of international comparability” – (ECOSOC Resolution 149 A - VII of 27 August 1948).

Commercial users are encouraged to obtain a licensed copy of these files from the United Nations Statistics Division.


NACE - The Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community

Managed by: Eurostat

Consists of: A (minimum) four-digit classification providing the framework for collecting and presenting a large range of statistical data according to economic activity in the fields of economic statistics (e.g. production, employment and national accounts) and in other statistical domains developed within the European statistical system (ESS)

The Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community, (NACE from the French term "nomenclature statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté européenne"), is the industry standard classification system used in the European Union. It is the European implementation of the UN classification ISIC, revision 4.

NACE uses four hierarchical levels:

  • Level 1: 21 sections identified by alphabetical letters A to U;

  • Level 2: 88 divisions identified by two-digit numerical codes (01 to 99);

  • Level 3: 272 groups identified by three-digit numerical codes (01.1 to 99.0);

  • Level 4: 615 classes identified by four-digit numerical codes (01.11 to 99.00).

The first four digits of the code, which is the first four levels of the classification system, are the same in all European countries. National implementations may introduce additional levels. The fifth digit might vary from country to country and further digits are sometimes placed by suppliers of databases.


NAICS - North American Industry Classification System

Managed by: The NAICS Association

Consists of: A 5 to 6 digit code with a 4 level hierarchy: Section, Division, Group and Class

The North American Industry Classification System or NAICS (pronounced "nakes") is used by business and government to classify business establishments according to type of economic activity (process of production) in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America. It has largely replaced the older Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.

The NAICS numbering system employs a five or six-digit code at the most detailed industry level. The first five digits are generally (although not always strictly) the same in all three countries. The first two digits designate the largest business sector, the third digit designates the subsector, the fourth digit designates the industry group, the fifth digit designates the NAICS industries, and the sixth digit designates the national industries.


SIC, Standard Industrial Classification

Managed by: US Securities and Exchange Commission 

Consists of: A 4 digit code with a 3 level hierarchy: Industry Group, Major Group and Division.


TRBC, Thomson Reuters Business Classification

Managed by: Thomson Reuters

Consists of: An 8 digit code with a 5 level hierarchy: Economic Sector, Business Sector, Industry Group and Industry.


UKSIC, United Kingdom Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities

Managed by: The Office for National Statistics 

Consists of: A 5 digit code and matches the NACE system to the 4 digit class.