TOL: Standard Industrial Classification, Finland
The TOL classification system (Tilastollinenluokitus) is Finland's national adaptation of the EU's NACE (Nomenclature of Economic Activities) framework, designed for organizing and categorizing economic activities. Managed by Statistics Finland, TOL serves as the basis for collecting, analyzing, and comparing economic data across industries. The TOL currently has a five-level hierarchical structure ranging from broadly defined Sections identified by single letters to more granular 5-digit industries capturing Finland's industrial and economic context.
Metadata
Publisher type | National |
Publisher(s) | |
Jurisdictions | Finland |
Versions
TOL 2008 (Current)
TOL 2008 has been in force in Finland since January 2008. Except for its provision of categories for unknown industries (under the Section X), TOL 2008 is identical to NACE Rev. 2 up to the 4-digit industry level.
Changes Between TOL 2002 and TOL 2008
The changes between TOL 2002 and TOL 2008 reflect the changes between NACE Rev. 1.1 and NACE Rev. 2 including the creation of four new sections. The level of detail of the classification increased considerably between both versions, from 515 to 616 classes at the 4-digit level and from 719 to 805 classes at the five-digit level. In service industries, the growth in the number of categories affected all classification levels, including at the section level: all the new sections in TOL 2008 were service-related. However, in some sections, such as agriculture, the increase in the level of detail of the classification was mostly at the lower levels of the classification.
Structure of TOL 2008
TOL 2008 is structured into five classification levels, as follows:
Section: 21 Sections identified by letters between A and U. There is also a Section X representing unknown industries.
2-digit level: 88 industries identified by 2-digit codes.
3-digit level: 272 industries identified by 3-digit codes.
4-digit level: 615 industries identified by 4-digit codes
5-digit level: 804 industries identified by 5-digit codes.
The table below breaks down each of the 21 sections in TOL 2008. In summary, of the 804 subclasses in TOL 2008, about 64% (515) are in services (Sections B; D-U), 30% (240) are in manufacturing (section C), and 6% (49) are in Agriculture (section A).
Section | Title | 2-digit level | 3-digit level | 4-digit level | 5-digit level |
A | Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 3 | 13 | 39 | 49 |
B | Mining and quarrying | 5 | 10 | 15 | 17 |
C | Manufacturing | 24 | 95 | 230 | 240 |
D | Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 1 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
E | Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 4 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
F | Construction | 3 | 9 | 22 | 27 |
G | Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 3 | 21 | 91 | 169 |
H | Transportation and storage | 5 | 15 | 23 | 33 |
I | Accommodation and food service activities | 2 | 7 | 8 | 16 |
J | Information and communication | 6 | 13 | 26 | 28 |
K | Financial and insurance activities | 3 | 10 | 18 | 20 |
L | Real estate activities | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
M | Professional, scientific and technical activities | 7 | 15 | 19 | 40 |
N | Administrative and support service activities | 6 | 19 | 33 | 35 |
O | Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 1 | 3 | 9 | 14 |
P | Education | 1 | 6 | 11 | 15 |
Q | Human health and social work activities | 3 | 9 | 12 | 31 |
R | Arts, entertainment and recreation | 4 | 5 | 15 | 16 |
S | Other service activities | 3 | 6 | 19 | 22 |
T | Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own account | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
U | Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
X | Unknown industry | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Total | 89 | 273 | 616 | 805 |
Resources
TOL 2002 (Legacy)
TOL 2002 was in force in Finland from January 2002 to December 2007. It was Finland's adaptation of NACE Rev. 1.1.
Changes between TOL 1995 and TOL 2002
The changes between TOL 1995 and TOL 2002 reflected the switch from NACE Rev. 1 to NACE Rev. 1.1. In TOL 2002, there were around 50 5-digit level updates involving redefinitions, mergers, splits and renumbering of industries. The national detail increased with the addition of 22 new 5-digit industries.
Structure of TOL 2002
TOL 2002 was structured into five classification levels, as follows:
Section: 17 Sections identified by letters between A and Q. There is also a Section X representing unknown industries.
2-digit level: 62 industries identified by 2-digit codes.
3-digit level: 224 industries identified by 3-digit codes.
4-digit level: 514 industries identified by 4-digit codes
5-digit level: 718 industries identified by 5-digit codes.
Resources
TOL 1995 (Legacy)
TOL 1995 was in force in Finland from 1995 to 2001. It was based on NACE Rev. 1 up to the 4-digit industry level. While TOL 1995 was originally published in 1993, a revised version with minor adjustments was released in 1999.
Changes Between TOL 1988 and TOL 1995
Following the adoption of the NACE framework, TOL 1988 was considerably changed in TOL 1995. Most sections were reconstituted and renamed in TOL 1995. Prominent changes at this level included the movement of Fisheries from Section A (Agriculture, fisheries and hunting) of TOL 1988 to a separate Section B, and "International organizations and foreign missions" from the TOL 1988 Section S (Organizational and religious activities) to a separate Section Q in TOL 1988. Similar transfers were done at the finer levels of the classification. While TOL 1995 was originally published in 1993, a revised version with minor adjustments was released in 1999 in which the 4-digit industry 4014 (Sale and intermediation of electricity) and 5-digit industry 40140 (Sale and intermediation of electricity) were added.
Structure of TOL 1995
TOL 1995 was structured into five classification levels, as follows:
Section: 17 Sections identified by letters between A and Q. There is also a Section X representing unknown industries. Two sections are further split into a total of 16 sub-sections.
2-digit level: 61 industries identified by 2-digit codes.
3-digit level: 223 industries identified by 3-digit codes.
4-digit level: 508 industries identified by 4-digit codes
5-digit level: 698 industries identified by 5-digit codes.
Resources
TOL 1988 (Legacy)
TOL 1988 was in force from January 1988 to December 1994. While TOL 1988 was developed primarily to meet national requirements, however efforts were made to maintain comparability with the United Nation's ISIC Rev. 2.
Changes Between TOL 1972 and TOL 1988
TOL 1988 introduced the alphanumeric coding system in which the main groups (Divisions) are identified by single letters and the other levels identified by numbers. The coding system of TOL 1972 was numeric across all levels. The code of the most detailed level was also shortened from six digits in TOL 1972 to four digits in TOL 1988. Consequently, several industries were recomposed and retitled.
Structure of TOL 1988
TOL 1988 was structured into four classification levels, as follows:
Division: 19 divisions identified by letters between A and T.
2-digit level: 68 industries identified by 2-digit codes.
3-digit level: 275 industries identified by 3-digit codes.
4-digit level: 552 industries identified by 4-digit codes
Resources
TOL 1972 (Legacy)
TOL 1972 was in effect from 1972 to 1988. This first edition of the TOL was Finland's adaptation of the United Nation's ISIC Rev. 2 released in 1968.
Structure of TOL 1972
TOL 1972 was structured into six classification levels, as follows:
1-digit level: 19 industries identified by 1-digit codes (1-9).
2-digit level: 34 industries identified by 2-digit codes (11-96).
3-digit level: 94 industries identified by 3-digit codes (111-960).
4-digit level: 239 industries identified by 4-digit codes (1111-9599).
5-digit level: 492 industries identified by 5-digit codes (11111-95999).
6-digit level: 593 industries identified by 6-digit codes (290111-939112). At this most detailed level, the first four digits of the code are the same as the ISIC Rev. 2 Group to which the industry belongs.
Resources
TOL 2025 (Upcoming)
Following the transition from NACE Rev. 2 to NACE Rev. 2.1 at the European level, Statistics Finland has informed that TOL 2025 is at an advanced stage of development, with its implementation expected to begin at the end of 2025.
Where is it used?
The TOL is extensively applied across Finland's statistical system. It is the framework used by Statistics Finland its database of industrial productivity and several other aspects of Finland's economy and society.
Administrative information systems in Finland using the TOL include, among others, customs, tax administration, and workers' compensation. Moreover, many regional planning authorities and provinces maintain local establishment registers using the TOL in partnership with business associations, municipal trade ombudsmen, manpower authorities and industrial districts of the Ministry of Trade and Industry
The Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) offers a service in which interested users can obtain company information including TOL codes from Finland's trade registers. Such information can then be used for various marketing purposes.
In academic studies, TOL codes have been used in different disciplines examining various issues from occupational diseases to structural change and decentralization of collective bargaining in Finland's Information Technology (IT) and Forest industries.
Further Resources
Other resources
Statistics Finland’s free-of-charge statistical databases - Volume index of industrial output
Finnish Patent and Registration Office - Finnish Trade Register’s selection service
Trends in occupational diseases in Finland, 1975–2013: a register study
Tax Administration - Tax return of limited liability companies and cooperative societies