ISIC Rev. 5 reference
ISIC Rev. 5, mapped section by section
ISIC Rev. 5 is the United Nations reference classification of economic activities, published by the UN Statistics Division and endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission in March 2023. It groups activities into 22 sections, 87 divisions, 258 groups and 463 classes, so that statistics collected in different countries can be compared on the same basis. This site explains the classification, how to read a code, and what changed from Rev. 4. It does not decide any reader's code.
How to read a code in four steps
- Find the version first. A code without "ISIC Rev. 5, UN Statistics Division" beside it is incomplete, because the same digits can sit in different structures in different revisions.
- Split the digits. The first two digits are the division, the first three are the group, and all four are the class.
- Look up the section. The section letter is not written in the code. Find the division in the structure table and read the section above it.
- Read the note, not just the heading. The explanatory note states what a category includes and excludes. The heading alone is only a label.
What this site does
- Defines each level of the classification and shows how the levels nest.
- Maps all 22 sections of Rev. 5, including the new Sections J and K.
- Explains the Rev. 4 to Rev. 5 transition, including the removal of division 45 and the 18 new intermediation classes.
- Points to the UN Statistics Division structure and to the national statistical institute or business register that confirms a code.
What this site does not do
- It does not determine any reader's code, principal activity or secondary activity.
- It does not state that a code decides tax, licensing, funding or employment status.
- It does not offer a code-finder or lookup tool, and it does not give advice on any reader's registration.
The 22 sections of ISIC Rev. 5
| Section | Title in ISIC Rev. 5 |
|---|---|
| A | Agriculture, forestry and fishing |
| B | Mining and quarrying |
| C | Manufacturing |
| D | Electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply |
| E | Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities |
| F | Construction |
| G | Wholesale and retail trade |
| H | Transportation and storage |
| I | Accommodation and food service activities |
| J | Publishing, broadcasting, and content production and distribution activities |
| K | Telecommunications, computer programming, consultancy, computing infrastructure and other information service activities |
| L | Financial and insurance activities |
| M | Real estate activities |
| N | Professional, scientific and technical activities |
| O | Administrative and support service activities |
| P | Public administration and defence; compulsory social security |
| Q | Education |
| R | Human health and social work activities |
| S | Arts, entertainment and recreation |
| T | Other service activities |
| U | Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use |
| V | Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies |
The 20 clusters
Each cluster covers one part of the classification or one group of sections. The count beside each title is the number of guides published in that cluster.
- 01 / 20 - 14 guides
What ISIC is and why it exists
ISIC as a global statistical classification, its UN custodian, its purpose, and the limits that keep it a statistical tool.
- 02 / 20 - 12 guides
The four levels of ISIC Rev. 5
Sections, divisions, groups and classes in ISIC Rev. 5, how the four levels nest, and how to read an identifier at each level.
- 03 / 20 - 9 guides
Reading, quoting and checking a code
Explanatory notes, the index, correspondence tables, and how to quote a code with its version so a reader can check it.
- 04 / 20 - 13 guides
From ISIC Rev. 4 to ISIC Rev. 5
The overall change from Rev. 4 to Rev. 5, what stayed the same, and how to handle a dataset that still uses Rev. 4.
- 05 / 20 - 9 guides
The split of the old Section J
How Rev. 4 Section J became Rev. 5 Sections J and K, and how the sections after them changed letters.
- 06 / 20 - 8 guides
Intermediation service activities in Rev. 5
The 18 new intermediation classes in Rev. 5, what intermediation means in the classification, and where those classes sit.
- 07 / 20 - 10 guides
Division 45, trade and repair in Rev. 5
Why Rev. 4 division 45 was removed, where its trade and repair activities went, and how Section G reads in Rev. 5.
- 08 / 20 - 13 guides
Section A: Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Crop and animal production, forestry and logging, and fishing and aquaculture in ISIC Rev. 5, Section A.
- 09 / 20 - 7 guides
Section B: Mining and quarrying
Mining of coal, metal ores and other minerals, extraction of oil and gas, and mining support services in Rev. 5.
- 10 / 20 - 19 guides
Section C: Manufacturing
The manufacturing divisions of ISIC Rev. 5, from food and textiles to machinery, vehicles and furniture.
- 11 / 20 - 12 guides
Sections D and E: Energy, water and waste
Electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply, and water, sewerage, waste and remediation in Rev. 5.
- 12 / 20 - 8 guides
Section F: Construction
Construction of buildings, civil engineering and specialised construction activities in ISIC Rev. 5.
- 13 / 20 - 11 guides
Section G: Wholesale and retail trade
Wholesale and retail trade in Rev. 5, after the removal of division 45 and the end of the online versus in-store split.
- 14 / 20 - 10 guides
Section H: Transportation and storage
Land, water and air transport, warehousing and support activities, and postal and courier activities in Rev. 5.
- 15 / 20 - 7 guides
Section I: Accommodation and food service
Accommodation and food and beverage service activities in ISIC Rev. 5, Section I.
- 16 / 20 - 10 guides
Section J: Publishing, broadcasting and content
Publishing, broadcasting, and content production and distribution in Rev. 5, Section J.
- 17 / 20 - 12 guides
Section K: Telecommunications and computing
Telecommunications, computer programming, consultancy, computing infrastructure and other information services in Rev. 5.
- 18 / 20 - 11 guides
Sections L and M: Finance, insurance and real estate
Financial and insurance activities in Section L and real estate activities in Section M, in ISIC Rev. 5.
- 19 / 20 - 12 guides
Sections N, O and P: Professional, administrative and public activities
Professional, scientific and technical activities, administrative and support services, and public administration and defence in Rev. 5.
- 20 / 20 - 14 guides
Sections Q to V: Education, health, arts and other services
Education, human health and social work, arts and recreation, other services, households and extraterritorial bodies in Rev. 5.