SBI: Standaard Bedrijfsindeling - Standard Industrial Classification in The Netherlands

The SBI (Standaard Bedrijfsindeling) classification system in the Netherlands is a standardized system managed by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) to categorize the economic activities of businesses and organizations. It is based on the NACE classification used across the European Union but with adaptations for the Dutch economic context. The SBI is a hierarchical five-level system ranging from broad sectors at the highest level (one-digit codes) to more specific activities at the lowest level (5-digit codes). Upon registration, every business in the Netherlands is assigned one or more SBI codes.

Metadata

Publisher type National
Publisher(s)
Jurisdictions The Netherlands

Current Version: SBI 2008

SBI 2008 has been in force in the Netherlands since January 2008.

Changes between SBI 1993 and SBI 2008

SBI 2008 was a major revision of SBI 1993 reflecting the switch at the European level from NACE Rev 1 to NACE Rev. 2. SBI 2008 accounted for the growing importance of sectors related to information and communication technology (ICT), reflecting the economic significance of the internet, software development, and telecommunications. Other sectors, such as the environmental and recycling industries, also saw improved classification in the SBI 2008, in line with the rise of sustainability and environmental management as important economic activities. SBI 2008 has been updated annually between 2012 and 2022. Most updates were minor, involving only changes to a few class titles. The 2018 update was the most prominent with the split of the class 65.12 (Non-life insurance) into two subclasses and the combination of the subclasses 88.91.1 (Child care) and 88.91.2 (Toddler care) into the class 88.91 (Child care).

Structure of SBI 2008

SBI 2008 is structured hierarchically into five levels of aggregation.

  • Sections: 21 sections represented by capital letters from A to U. This is the broadest level in SBI 2008.

  • Divisions: 82 divisions represented by two-digit codes.

  • Groups: 267 groups represented by three-digit codes.

  • Classes: 603 classes represented by four-digit codes.

  • Subclasses: 478 subclasses represented by five-digit codes. This is the most detailed level in SBI 2008 specified according to the Dutch economic context.

The table below breaks down each of the 21 sections in SBI 2008. At the fourth (four-digit) classification level, the "Manufacturing" and "Wholesale and retail trade" sectors (C and G) have the highest number of industries (234 and 92, respectively). However, at the five-digit level, the "Wholesale and retail trade" and "Culture, sports and recreation" sectors are two of the most diverse in SBI 2008 with 180 and 47 activities respectively. For example, the four-digit industry 46.73 in SBI 2008 covering "Wholesale of wood, sanitary equipment and other construction materials" is further split into nine five-digit industries ranging from "Wholesale of wood and board" (46.73.1) to "Non-specialized wholesale of construction materials" (46.73.9). As for the diversity of the "Culture, sports and recreation" sector, the four-digit industry 93.12 in SBI 2008 Covering "outdoor sports" is broken down into nine five-digit activities ranging from football (93.12.1) to "other outdoor sports" (93.12.9).

Section

Title

Divisions

Groups

Classes

Subclasses

A

Agriculture, forestry and fishing

3

12

29

35

B

Mining and quarrying

3

6

8

0

C

Manufacturing

24

97

234

37

D

Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply

1

3

6

3

E

Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities

4

6

9

0

F

Construction

3

9

22

8

G

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

3

21

92

180

H

Transportation and storage

5

15

22

17

I

Accommodation and food service activities

2

7

8

6

J

Information and communication

6

13

26

2

K

Financial institutions

3

9

19

27

L

Renting, buying and selling of real estate

1

3

4

4

M

Consultancy, research and other specialized business services

7

15

19

32

N

Renting and leasing of tangible goods and other business support services

6

19

33

16

O

Public administration, public services and compulsory social security

1

3

9

2

P

Education

1

5

10

17

Q

Human health and social work activities

3

9

13

29

R

Culture, sports and recreation

4

5

17

47

S

Other service activities

3

6

19

16

T

Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and service-producing activities of households for own use

2

3

3

0

U

Extraterritorial organizations and bodies

1

1

1

0

Total

82

267

603

478

Previous versions

SBI 1993

SBI 1993 was in force in the Netherlands from 1993 to 2008. It was the Dutch adaptation of NACE Rev. 1.

Structure of SBI 1993

SBI 1993 was structured hierarchically into five levels of aggregation, as follows:

  • Sections: 17 sections represented by capital letters from A to Q. Some sections were further split into a total of 16 subsections.

  • Divisions: 58 divisions represented by two-digit codes.

  • Groups: 211 groups represented by three-digit codes.

  • Classes: 504 classes represented by four-digit codes.

  • Subclasses: 510 subclasses represented by five-digit codes.

Versions prior to SBI 1993

An older system called SBI'74 operated for almost 20 years until SBI 1993 was released in response to the need for greater compatibility with international standards like the European Union's NACE and the United Nation's ISIC.

Where is it used?

The SBI is used by Statistics Netherlands and other government agencies in the Netherlands in their collection and reporting of a wide range of economic statistics. SBI codes are used for several administrative purposes in the Netherlands, from tax administration and the determination of regulatory obligations to identifying eligibility for government subsidies as was the case, for example, during the covid crises. For private organizations, SBI codes are used for several purposes from market research to investment analysis. Banks and other financial institutions, for example, use SBI codes to evaluate loan eligibility, insurance premia and compensation claims. In addition to its administrative and regulatory uses, the SBI codes are used in different ways by researchers across disciplines in the Netherlands. Some notable applications of SBI codes in academic research include:

Upcoming versions

Following the release of NACE Rev. 2.1, Statistics Netherlands has informed that SBI 2025 is being prepared for release in 2025. During its progressive implementation, SBI 2008 will also remain in use. SBI 2025 will reflect the major changes in NACE Rev 2.1 such as the splitting of the SBI 2008 Section J (Information and communication) into separate Sections J (Information) and K (Communication) in SBI 2025. Consequently, in SBI 2025, sections will all move up a letter (K becomes L, L becomes M etc.). SBI 2025 will also stop making a distinction between online and in-store trading and add more codes for intermediaries which are companies that connect customers to sellers, e.g. comparison sites.

Further Resources

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