NAF: French Classification of Activities - Nomenclature d'activités française

The NAF (Nomenclature des Activités Françaises) classification system in France is used to categorize the economic activities of businesses and organizations. It is managed by INSEE (the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) and is based on the European Union's NACE classification but with adaptations for the French business and economic context. The NAF is a hierarchical four-level system ranging from broad Sectors to Sub-classes at the most detailed level.

Current Version: NAF 2008

NAF 2008 (NAF Rev. 2) took official effect in France from 1 January 2008. It is the French adaptation of the EU's NACE Rev. 2 which also came into force in 2008.

Changes between NAF 2003 and NAF 2008

Except at the finest classification level, the changes between NAF 2003 and NAF 2008 reflect the transition from NACE Rev 1.1 to NACE Rev. 2. This includes for example the creation of four new sections reflecting the shift toward a service-based economy and knowledge-based industries. Consequently, several activities across classification levels in NAF 2003 were redefined and restructured in NAF 2008 in line with changes in the global and French economy.

Structure of NAF 2008

NAF 2008 is structured hierarchically into four levels of aggregation, as follows:

Sections: 21 sections represented by capital letters from A to U. This is the broadest classification level in NAF Rev. 2.
Divisions: 88 divisions represented by two-digit codes.
Groups: 272 groups represented by three-digit codes.
Classes: 615 classes represented by four-digit codes.
Sub-classes: 732 sub-classes represented by five-digit codes. This is the finest level of detail in NAF 2008 constructed according to the French economic context.

The table below breaks down each of the 21 sections of NAF 2008. The Manufacturing section (C) is the most diverse section with 259 subclasses which is 35% of the 732 subclasses in NAF 2008. The "Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles" section has the second highest number of subclasses (116). These top two sections together account for just over half (51.23%) of NAF's sub-classes.

Section	Title	Divisions	Groups	Classes	Subclasses
A	Agriculture, forestry and fishing	3	13	39	39
B	Mining and quarrying	5	10	15	15
C	Manufacturing	24	95	230	259
D	Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1	3	8	8
E	Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	4	6	9	9
F	Construction	3	9	22	38
G	Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	3	21	91	116
H	Transportation and storage	5	15	23	30
I	Accommodation and food service activities	2	7	8	11
J	Information and communication	6	13	26	33
K	Financial and insurance activities	3	10	18	19
L	Real estate activities	1	3	4	6
M	Professional, scientific and technical activities	7	15	19	22
N	Administrative and support service activities	6	19	33	35
O	Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	1	3	9	11
P	Education	1	6	11	12
Q	Human health and social work activities	3	9	12	28
R	Arts, entertainment and recreation	4	5	15	16
S	Other service activities	3	6	19	21
T	Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use	2	3	3	3
U	Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies	1	1	1	1
	Total	88	272	615	732

Previous Versions

NAF 2003

NAF 2003 was in effect in France from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2007.

Changes between NAF 1993 and NAF 2003

The changes between NAF 1993 and NAF 2003 reflect the transition from NACE Rev. 1 to NACE Rev. 1.1. All classification levels were expanded substantially in NAF 2003 with more detail in sectors related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), environmental services, and professional services, reflecting the growing importance of the service economy and the emergence of the internet. In general, NAF 2003 enhanced the precision and relevance of economic categories in NAF 1993 to reflect the realities of the French economy in the early 2000s.

Structure of NAF 2003

NAF 2003 was structured hierarchically into four levels of aggregation, as follows:

Sections: 17 sections represented by capital letters from A to Q. Some sections were also further divided into 31 subsections represented by two letters.
Divisions: 62 divisions represented by two-digit codes.
Groups: 224 groups represented by three-digit codes.
Classes: 712 classes represented by four-digit codes.

NAF 1993

NAF 1993 was in effect in France from 1 January 1993 to 31 December 2002. It was the first edition of the NAF. The precursor to NAF, known as NAP (Nomenclature d'activités et de Produits), which was in place from 1973 to 1992 was part of France's broader effort to modernize its statistical tools and align with international norms. The NAP provided a comprehensive framework for uniformly categorizing economic activities, thereby improving the accuracy and comparability of economic data. In 1993, the NAF was introduced replacing the "activities" part of the NAP following the structure of the European Community's NACE, which itself was derived from the United Nation's ISIC. The introduction of NAF 1993 was part of France's commitment to European integration, ensuring that its economic data could be easily compared with that of other EU member states.

Structure of NAF 1993

NAF 1993 was structured hierarchically into four levels of aggregation, as follows:

Sections: 17 sections represented by capital letters from A to Q. Some sections were also further divided into 31 subsections represented by two letters.
Divisions: 60 divisions represented by two-digit codes.
Groups: 222 groups represented by three-digit codes.
Classes: 696 classes represented by four-digit codes.

Upcoming versions

The release of NACE Rev. 2.1 obliges EU Member States to update their national systems accordingly. Therefore, INSEE has informed that a new version called NAF 2025 will come into force in 2025 with full implementation in its statistical releases expected by the end of 2028.

Where is it used?

The NAF is primarily used by INSEE to categorize economic activity in France. Major national databases such as the Sirene Directory (which contains detailed information on all businesses and establishments in France) use the NAF. Other government agencies as well as private companies use the NAF for a range of statistical and administrative purposes. For private companies and self-employed persons, the selection of the right NAF code is crucial as it relates to matters such insurance premiums, eligibility for public programs etc. The NAF is also widely used in academic research across disciplines, for example:

Job Exposure Matrices: NAF codes form a key part of methodologies for constructing job-exposure matrices which identify workers at risk of exposure to harmful substances.
Market Identification: NAF has been used to infer the size of niche markets, such as the "Fourth Party Logistics (4PL)" community in France.

Further Resources

Download NAF

Other resources

Valerie Aston. What is a NAF or APE code list & how do you choose yours.
Joëlle Févotte and others. Matgene: A Program to Develop Job-Exposure Matrices in the General Population in France.
Laurence Saglietto. Towards a Classification of Fourth Party Logistics (4PL).