The General Classification of Economic Activities (NOGA) classification system in Switzerland is a framework used to categorize the economic activities of businesses and organizations. It is based on the NACE classification used across EU countries, but with adaptations for the Swiss economic context. NOGA is a hierarchical five-level system ranging from broad sections at the highest level to more specific activities at the lowest level. Upon registration in the Business and Enterprise Register (BER) in Switzerland, each business or enterprise is assigned a NOGA code.
Structure
The current version of NOGA is structured hierarchically into four levels of aggregation, as follows:
Sections: 21 sections represented by capital letters from A to U. While this is the broadest classification level, it is not directly used for coding activities. It only serves to divide all economic activities into 21 broad categories. For international compatibility, the definition of industries at this level follows the United Nations's ISIC.
Divisions: There are 88 divisions represented by two-digit codes. This second level of the NOGA also mirrors the ISIC.
Groups: There are 272 groups represented by three-digit codes and aligned with the European Union's NACE.
Class: There are 615 classes represented by four-digit codes, also aligned with the European Union's NACE.
Types: There are 794 types represented by six-digit codes. This is the finest classification level. While NOGA is compatible with NACE up to the class level, the 794 types are specific to the Swiss business and economic context.
The table below gives a breakdown of each of the 21 sections in NOGA. As in most other classification systems, the manufacturing division has the highest number of finely defined industries (267), i.e "types", followed by "wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles" (135) and "agriculture, forestry and fishing" (40).
Section | Title | Divisions | Groups | Classes | Types |
A | Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 3 | 13 | 39 | 40 |
B | Mining and quarrying | 5 | 10 | 15 | 15 |
C | Manufacturing | 24 | 95 | 230 | 267 |
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 | 39 |
G | Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 3 | 21 | 91 | 135 |
H | Transportation and storage | 5 | 15 | 23 | 25 |
I | Accommodation and food service activities | 2 | 7 | 8 | 16 |
J | Information and communication | 6 | 13 | 26 | 26 |
K | Financial and insurance activities | 3 | 10 | 18 | 38 |
L | Real estate activities | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
M | Professional, scientific and technical activities | 7 | 15 | 19 | 30 |
N | Administrative and support service activities | 6 | 19 | 33 | 36 |
O | Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 |
P | Education | 1 | 6 | 11 | 20 |
Q | Human health and social work activities | 3 | 9 | 12 | 24 |
R | Arts, entertainment and recreation | 4 | 5 | 15 | 18 |
S | Other service activities | 3 | 6 | 19 | 26 |
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 | 3 |
Total | 88 | 272 | 615 | 794 |
History and Versions
Earlier Classification Systems: The organized classification of economic activities in Switzerland dates back to the Business Census of 1905. In subsequent Business Censuses of 1929, 1939, 1955, 1965, 1975 and 1985 new classifications were elaborated in light of newly emerged economic sectors. NOGA was first introduced in Switzerland in the early 1970s and was based on the UN's International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) and the European Union's NACE.
First Edition of NOGA (1995): The first official edition of NOGA was published in 1995. This version was closely aligned with NACE Rev.1, allowing for greater comparability of Swiss economic data with that of other European countries. Therefore, both classifications are identical up to level 4 and the Swiss classification aligns with international definitions
Revisions: Since its inception, NOGA has undergone several revisions to keep up with changes in the economy and updates in international classification systems. The major revisions occurred in 2002 and 2008, each aligning with updates in NACE. The 2008 version of NOGA (Rev. 2) was a major update that included a comprehensive restructuring of the classification system, reflecting new economic activities and the growing importance of services and technology in the Swiss economy.
Current Version (NOGA 2008, updated): The current version of NOGA is based on the 2008 edition but has been periodically updated to reflect ongoing changes in economic activities. It remains aligned with NACE Rev. 2, ensuring that Swiss economic data is compatible with European standards. Moreover, a new version of the NOGA (NOGA 2025) has been developed and is expected to come into operation from 2026 onwards. The table below summarizes the changes in the 2002 and 2008 NOGA versions.
NOGA 2002 | NOGA 2008 | Difference | |
Sections | 17 | 21 | +4 |
Division | 62 | 88 | +26 |
Groups | 224 | 272 | +48 |
Classes | 514 | 615 | +101 |
NOGA Types | 724 | 794 | +70 |
Where is it used?
The NOGA is primarily used by the FSO to categorize economic activity coherently and therefore the base of national economic and industrial statistics routinely produced by the FSO. Moreover, because of the neutral and objective classification provided by NOGA, a range of private companies such as insurance companies, fund managers, pension funds, etc. use it in their analyses (e.g. to calculate risk premiums). NOGA It is also commonly used in academic research on business and socioeconomic issues in Switzerland.