Table of Contents
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Introduction
ISIC is a standard classification of economic activities arranged so that entities can be classified according to the activity they carry out. The categories of ISIC at the most detailed level (classes) are delineated according to what is, in most countries, the customary combination of activities described in statistical units and considers the relative importance of the activities included in these classes. While the latest version, ISIC Rev.4, continues to use criteria such as input, output and use of the products produced, more emphasis has been given to the character of the production process in defining and delineating ISIC classes.
The groups and divisions, the successively broader levels of classification, combine the activities of producing units according to: similarities in the character of the goods and services produced, the uses to which the goods and services are put, and the inputs, process and technology of production.
Wide use has been made of ISIC, both nationally and internationally, in classifying data according to kind of economic activity in the fields of production, employment, gross domestic product and other statistical areas. ISIC is a basic tool for studying economic phenomena, fostering international comparability of data, providing guidance for the development of national classifications and for promoting the development of sound national statistical systems.
Structure
Each group in the classification is designated by a title and letter/number code and is associated with a description that specifies the scope of the group. The hierarchical structure includes:
- Sections denoted by 1-letter codes; for example, A Agriculture, forestry and fishing
- Divisions denoted by 2-digit codes; for example, 03 Fishing and aquaculture
- Groups denoted by 3-digit codes; for example, 031 Fishing
- Classes denoted by 4-digit codes; for example, 0311 Marine fishing
The categories of ISIC at the most detailed level (classes) are delineated according to what is, in most countries, the customary combination of activities described in statistical units and considers the relative importance of the activities included in these classes. While ISIC Rev. 4 continues to use criteria such as input, output and use of the products produced, more emphasis has been given to the character of the production process in defining and delineating ISIC classes.
Explore ISIC Rev. 4
Use the search function to find an item (tips: use the drop-down to select which columns to search and use quotes around a term, for example “marine fishing”, for more precise search results). In the table of results, click on the + sign to the left of the item title to learn more.
Broad sector concordance with ISIC
| Aggregate Economic Activity | Sections ISIC- Rev. 4 | Sections ISIC- Rev. 3 | Sections ISIC- Rev. 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | A | A, B | 1 | ||||
| Non Agriculture | Industry | Manufacturing | C | D | 3 | ||
| Construction | F | F | 5 | ||||
| Mining and quarrying; Electricity, gas and water supply | B, D, E | C, E | 2, 4 | ||||
| Services | Market Services (Trade; Transportation; Accommodation and food; and Business and administrative services) | G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N | G, H, I, J, K | 6, 7, 8 | |||
| Non-market services (Public administration; Community, Social and other services and activities) | O, P, Q, R, S, T, U | L, M, N, O, P, Q | 9 | ||||
| Not elsewhere classified | X | 0 | |||||
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