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, answers to frequently asked questions and information 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 are aligned with the ISIC (global level). With a few exceptions, the first four digits of the SBI are identical to the European NACE. 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 to the European system (NACE Rev 2.1) and will therefore be implemented in SBI 2025:
- SBI Section J: Information and Communication comprised SBI 58 to 63 in SBI 2008. In SBI 2025, this has been subdivided into SBI Section J: Information (comprising SBI 58 to 60) and SBI Section K: Communication (comprising SBI 61 to 63). As a result, all subsequent SBI Sections also all move up a letter (K becomes L, L becomes M and so on). This amendment will have no effect on the more detailed categories (levels 2 to 5).
- SBI 45: The category of trade in and repair of cars, motorcycles and trailers will be removed and reclassified under SBI 46: Wholesale trade, SBI 47: Retail trade and SBI 95: Repairs.
- Now that many physical shops also sell goods online, the distinction between internet trading and trade via retail outlets is no longer clear. Moreover, a distinction according to sales channel does not reflect the aim of SBI, as the activity (retail trade) is the same in both cases. Other sales channels (e.g. market trade) are also no longer recorded separately. In SBI 2008, these were: SBI 47.8 and SBI 47.9.
- A considerable number of SBI codes for intermediaries and mediation have been added. These categories contain companies that provide a link between customers and the service/product/seller, such as online marketplaces and comparison sites. For retail trade, these activities are categorised under SBI 47.9 in SBI 2025. An overview of the SBI codes of other mediation services can be found in the document ‘Information SBI revision SBI 2025’ at www.cbs.nl/sbi under the heading SBI 2025.
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 august 2024 (Only available in Dutch)
NACE Rev. 2.1 structure and explanatory notes
SBI2025 structural - version december 2024
Overview with SBI codes and business activities from SBI 2008 to SBI 2025 v1.00 (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)
Overview SBI 1993 - SBI 2008 (Only available in Dutch)
Overview 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)
- Foundations of the SBI 1993 (Only available in Dutch)
- Overview SBI 1974 - SBI 1993 (Only available in Dutch)