Standard Industrial Classifications
Preparations for the revision of the Standard Industrial Classification (SBI) 2025 are in full swing. The revised SBI will be introduced in 2025 and gradually implemented across CBS statistics. SBI 2008 and SBI 2025 will both be in use during the implementation period. This webpage provides more information on the forthcoming revision and on previous updates to the SBI.
Codes from the current SBI 2008 can be found in the type module (Only available in Dutch).
Are you looking for specific information?
Click on one of the following topics or read more below.
What is SBI
Why is SBI being revised
SBI 2025
SBI 2008
SBI 1993
Contact
What is SBI?
SBI is a standard for classifying economic activities in the Netherlands. Each business is assigned a code by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK) that indicates how the main economic activities of that business are classified. For example, is it a bakery shop or a butcher?
CBS uses the SBI to classify businesses according to their main business activity and to describe our economy.
SBI has five levels: each economic activity is indicated by a maximum of five digits.
| A | Agriculture, forestry and fishing |
|---|---|
| 1 | Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities |
| 01.1 | Growing of non-perennial crops |
| 01.11 | Growing of cereals, other than rice, leguminous crops and oil seeds |
| 01.11.0 | Growing of cereals, other than rice, leguminous crops and oil seeds |
| 01.12 | Growing of rice |
| 01.12.0 | Growing of rice |
| 01.13 | Growing of vegetables and melons, roots and tubers |
| 01.13.1 | Growing of open-field vegetables |
| 01.13.2 | Growing of vegetables in greenhouses |
| 01.13.3 | Growing of mushrooms |
| 01.13.4 | Growing of potatoes and other roots and tubers |
| 01.14 | Growing of sugar cane |
| 01.14.0 | Growing of sugar cane |
| 01.15 | Growing of tobacco |
| 01.15.0 | Growing of tobacco |
| 01.16 | Growing of fibre crops |
| 01.16.0 | Growing of fibre crops |
| 01.19 | Growing of other non-perennial crops |
| 01.19.1 | Growing of cut flowers and shrubs in open fields |
| 01.19.2 | Growing of cut flowers and shrubs in greenhouses |
| 01.19.3 | Growing of fodder crops |
| 01.19.9 | Growing of other non-perennial crops (rest) |
Source: Standard Industrial Classification 2025, KVK & CBS, May 2024
The first two levels (digits) of SBI 2008 are aligned with the ISIC Rev 4 (global level). With a few exceptions, the first four digits of the SBI are identical to the European NACE Rev 2.1. The fifth level is specific to the Netherlands. The correlation between international standard classifications and the SBI is indicated in the following overview.
Why is SBI being revised?
The world is constantly changing, and the work that is done in our economy and its importance also change as a result. In order to continue to describe our economy accurately, NACE needs to be updated regularly. This is done approximately once every 15 years. If there are changes in NACE, the SBI must also be updated.The most recent SBI was published in 2008. Since then, we have seen the emergence of comparison sites and alternative methods of generating energy, for example. Other economic activities have almost disappeared, such as video libraries.
When there are changes in the Dutch economy, the structure of the SBI is revised at the fifth level (the ‘Netherlands-specific’ level). This occurs no more than once a year, in January, although in some years there is no update.
SBI 2025
In 2025, some major changes will take place in the structure of the SBI, and much of its content will be specified in more detail. This means reconsidering which activities will fall under a specific code and which activities should be placed under a different code.
Major changes
The following major changes have been made at the European level (NACE Rev 2.1) and will therefore also need to be included in the SBI:
- SBI Section J; Information and communication were defined as SBI 58 to 63 in SBI 2008. This category has been subdivided as SBI Section J in SBI 2025: Information in SBT 58 to 60 and SBI Section K: Communication in SBT 61 to 63. This means that all subsequent SBI Sections will also have a new letter (K becomes L, L becomes M and so on).
- SBI 45: Trade in and repair of cars, motorcycles and trailers will be removed and divided into SBI 46: Wholesale trade, SBI 47: Retail trade, SBI 95: Repairs.
- The following major changes have been made at the European level (NACE Rev 2.1) and should therefore also be included in the SBI. Since nearly every physical shop also sells over the internet, the distinction between internet trading and retail trade has disappeared.
- Many SBIs related to intermediaries and mediation have been added. These are businesses that provide a link between customers and sellers of services/products, such as Marktplaats.nl and comparison sites.
Codes without a fifth level
For codes consisting of four levels, a fifth level has been added to the SBI 2025 using a zero. In 2008 this was not the case. This method is consistent with Eurostat recommendations for the national versions of NACE. Adding the zero avoids differences in summations in StatLine tables.
The documents below provide more information on SBI 2025.
Information SBI revision SBI 2025 - version March 2024 (Only available in Dutch)
NACE Rev. 2.1 structure and explanatory notes
SBI2025 structural - version may 2024
Schakelschema SBI 2008 - SBI 2025 v0.03 (Only available in Dutch)
Realization fifth level - SBI 2025
SBI 2008
The documents below provide more information on SBI 2008.De structuur van de SBI 2008 - versie 2018, update 2022 (Only available in Dutch)
De toelichting op de SBI 2008 - versie 2018, update 2022 (Only available in Dutch)
Schakelschema SBI 1993 - SBI 2008 (Only available in Dutch)
Schakelschema SBI 2008 - SBI'93 (Only available in Dutch)
There have been nine annual updates to SBI 2008. Below is an overview of the changes made in these versions:
2022
- The titles of 20.15, 23.3, 23.32, 23.43, 47.71.6 and 82.92 were updated
2021
- The titles of 70.21 and 85.32.2 were updated.
2019
- The title of 62.02 was updated.
2018
- Non-life insurance SBI 65.12 was subdivided into Non-life insurance (not health insurance) SBI 65.12.1 and Health insurance SBI 65.12.2.
- Child care SBI 88.91.1 and Toddler care centre SBI 88.91.2 were combined into SBI 88.91 Child care. Due to a legal amendment, the distinction was no longer possible.
- The titles of 01.24, 01.3, 01.30 and 45.20.5 were updated.
2017
- The agriculture section was divided into 35 more detailed activities at the fifth level.
- The titles of 56.10.2, 87.2 and 87.20 were updated.
2016
- In SBI 58.12 “Databases” was removed from SBI 58.11: ‘Publishers of books and databases’. This change brought the SBI into line with NACE in this respect.
- The titles of 46.75.2, 47.51.1, 55.20.2, 58.11, 58.12, 65.30.1, 86.91.3 and 96.02.2 were updated.
2014
- The codes in SBI 63.9 were changed from 63.2 to 63.9 due to technical reasons.
- Ice cream parlours (56.10.3) no longer identified separately and included in SBI 56.10.2.
- Window cleaners and chimney sweeps were identified separately in SBI 81.22.
2013
- SBI 74.10 "Industrial and fashion design" and SBI 71.11 "Architects" were further subdivided. Interior designers identified separately in SBI 71.11.
2012
- Subdivision of the SBI 47.91 "Retail trade via mail order and internet" into 8 subdivisions at the fifth level.
SBI 1993
The documents below provide more information on the SBI 1993:
- SBI 1993 versie 2004 (Only available in Dutch)
- Grondslagen van de SBI 1993 (Only available in Dutch)
- Schakelschema SBI 1974 - SBI 1993 (Only available in Dutch)
Contact us
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