German Classification of Economic Activities (WZ) - Die Klassifikation der Wirtschaftszweige

The German Classification of Economic Activities, known as WZ (Klassifikation der Wirtschaftszweige), is a system used to categorize economic activities in Germany. It is managed by Germany's federal statistical office (Destatis). While closely aligned with the NACE classification system, as is the case with other national classification systems within the EU, the WZ is adapted for the German economic context. It is a five-level hierarchical system ranging from broad categories at the top to very specific activities at the lowest classification level.

Metadata

Publisher type National
Publisher(s)
Jurisdictions Germany

Current Version: WZ 2008

WZ 2008 took effect in Germany on 1 January 2008. It is the German adaptation of the EU's NACE Rev. 2 which also came into force in 2008.

Changes between WZ 2003 and WZ 2008

Because the WZ is aligned to NACE, the changes between WZ 2003 and WZ 2008 reflect the transition from NACE Rev 1.1 to NACE Rev. 2. While the scope and rules for classification was revised, the overall structure of the system was maintained as far as possible. At the broadest level, four new sections were created with components drawn from different other sections resulting in a loss of comparability between the sections across the two versions. A new and more detailed section for agriculture was created in section A (Agriculture, forestry and fishing) by merging the WZ 2003 sections A (Agriculture, hunting and forestry) and B (Fishing). Other new sections in WZ 2008 include section E (Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities) and J (Information and communication) reflecting the growing importance of recycling and the information technology. WZ 2008 also dropped the subsection level of classification of previous versions.

Structure of WZ 2008

The German Classification of Economic Activities (WZ) is a five-level hierarchical framework for categorizing economic activity in Germany. Its current version is structured as follows:

  • Sections: 21 sections represented by letters ranging from A to U. This is the broadest category in the WZ.

  • Divisions: 88 divisions represented by two-digit codes (01-99).

  • Groups: 272 groups represented by three-digit codes (01.1-99.0).

  • Classes: 615 classes represented by four-digit codes (01.11-99.00).

  • Sub-classes: 839 sub-classes represented by five-digit codes (01.11.0-99.00.0). This is the finest level of detail in the WZ and is specified according to the German economic context, as is the case in other national classification systems in EU member countries.

The table below breaks down each of the 21 sections in the WZ. The manufacturing section is the most diverse section at the sub-class level with 260 activities followed by "wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles" with 164. The WZ has a higher number of industries at its most detailed classification level (sub-class) compared to other national systems in Europe: NOGA 2008 (Switzerland) has 794 industries, the UK SIC 2007 (United Kingdom) has 191, and SBI 2008 (Netherlands) has 478. It, however, contains fewer industries compared to the NAICS 2022 (United States) which has 1012.

Section

Title

Divisions

Groups

Classes

Sub-classes

A

Agriculture, forestry and fishing

3

13

39

46

B

Mining and quarrying

5

10

15

15

C

Manufacturing

24

95

230

260

D

Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply

1

3

8

12

E

Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities

4

6

9

12

F

Construction

3

9

22

30

G

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

3

21

91

164

H

Transportation and storage

5

15

23

36

I

Accommodation and food service activities

2

7

8

23

J

Information and communication

1

13

26

30

K

Financial and insurance activities

8

10

18

26

L

Real estate activities

1

3

4

8

M

Professional, scientific and technical activities

7

15

19

38

N

Administrative and support service activities

6

19

33

39

O

Public administration and defence; compulsory social security

1

3

9

9

P

Education

1

6

11

18

Q

Human health and social work activities

3

9

12

18

R

Arts, entertainment and recreation

4

5

15

26

S

Other service activities

3

6

19

25

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

839

Previous versions

WZ 2003

WZ 2003 was in effect in Germany from January 2003 to December 2006.

Changes between WZ 1993 and WZ 2003

The developments in WZ 2003 reflected changes in international standards with the movement from NACE Rev. 1 to NACE Rev. 1.1 at the European level. The structure of WZ 1993 was largely retained in WZ 2003. Except where major technical and economic changes had occurred such as with the progressive deregulation in various markets in Germany, have modifications to the structure been necessary. Moreover, much of WZ 2003 focused on updating and enriching the description of the activities in WZ 1993 to reflect the German economy at the turn of the century. It provided more detail in emerging sectors like Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), environmental services, and professional services, reflecting the growing importance of the service economy and the internet.

Structure of WZ 2003

WZ 2003 was hierarchically structured into five levels as follows:

  • Sections: 17 sections represented by letters ranging from A to Q. Some sections were also split into a total of 31 subsections represented by two letters.

  • Divisions: 60 divisions represented by two-digit codes.

  • Groups: 222 groups represented by three-digit codes.

  • Classes: 513 classes represented by four-digit codes.

  • Sub-classes: 1041 sub-classes represented by five-digit codes. This was the finest level of detail in the WZ 2003 specified according to the German economic context.

WZ 1993

WZ 1993 was in effect in Germany from January 1993 to December 2002. It was the German adaptation of NACE Rev. 1.

Changes between WZ 1979 and WZ 1993

The transition from WZ 1979 to WZ 1993 introduced significant changes to align the German classification system with NACE Rev. 1. The shift was primarily aimed at harmonizing economic data across EU member states for better comparability. WZ 1993 expanded the number of categories, especially at the more detailed levels, to reflect the growing complexity of the German economy in the post-reunification era, especially in the service sector. It also incorporated new activities, such as those related to technology and information services, which were less prominent in earlier classifications. In WZ 1993, the structure of the system was adjusted to include five levels (with the addition of subclasses) thereby providing greater detail.

Structure of WZ 1993

The WZ 1993 was a hierarchical five-digit classification system structured as follows:

  • Sections: 17 sections each denoted by a single letter from A to Q with some sections further divided into a total of 31 subsections represented by two letters. This was the broadest categorization in the WZ 1993.

  • Divisions: 60 divisions represented by two-digit codes.

  • Groups: 222 groups represented by three-digit codes.

  • Classes: 503 classes represented by four-digit codes.

  • Subclasses: 1062 subclasses represented by five-digit codes.

WZ 1979

WZ 1979 was in force in Germany from 1979 to 1992.

Changes between WZ 1970 and WZ 1979

The changes in WZ 1979 were in line with the structural transformation of the German economy during the 1970s. The post-war boom that had driven industrial production began to slow, and services sectors such as in finance, insurance, retail, healthcare, and public administration which were expanding were substantially revised in WZ 1979.

Structure of WZ 1979

WZ 1979 was a hierarchical five-digit classification system structured as follows:

  • Sections: 10 sections each represented by a single-digit code. This was the broadest categorization in the WZ 1979.

  • Divisions: 40 divisions represented by two-digit codes.

  • Groups: 209 groups represented by three-digit codes.

  • Subgroups: 612 subgroups represented by four-digit codes.

  • Classes: 1064 classes represented by five-digit codes.

WZ 1970

WZ 1970 was in force in Germany from 1970 to 1979.

Changes between WZ 1961 and WZ 1970

The transition from the WZ 1961 to the WZ 1970 reflected changes in the structure of the West German economy, driven by rapid industrialization. WZ 1970 substantially expanded the detail of the manufacturing sector by adding activities for several areas including machinery, automotives, chemicals, and electronics. WZ 1970 was also better aligned with international standards, aiding in cross-border economic comparisons and integration.

Structure of WZ 1970

WZ 1970 was a hierarchical five-digit classification system structured as follows:

  • Divisions: 10 divisions each represented by a single-digit code. This was the broadest categorization in the WZ 1970.

  • Sub-divisions: 29 sub-divisions represented by two-digit codes.

  • Groups: 206 groups represented by three-digit codes.

  • Subgroups: 669 subgroups represented by four-digit codes.

  • Classes: 1388 classes represented by five-digit codes. This was the most detailed level of WZ 1970.

WZ 1961

WZ 1961 was in force in Germany from 1961 to 1970. It was one of the earliest comprehensive economic classification systems in post-war Germany. WZ 1961 was simpler than later versions, with fewer categories and less detailed classifications, focusing primarily on broad industrial sectors. Its structure was influenced by also newly emerging international systems like the ISIC, but it remained more tailored to Germany's economic structure at the time, emphasizing manufacturing, agriculture, and trade.

Structure of WZ 1961

WZ 1961 was structured into four levels, as follows:

  • Sections: 10 sections each represented by a one-digit code. This was the broadest level in WZ 1961.

  • Sub-sections: 25 sub-sections represented by two-digit codes.

  • Groups: 166 groups represented by three-digit codes.

  • Sub-groups: 494 sub-groups represented by four-digit codes.

  • Classes: 736 classes represented by five-digit codes. This was the most detailed level in WZ 1961.

Where is it used?

  • National Economic Statistics: The WZ is the principal framework used by Germany's federal statistical office (Destatis) and other public agencies in reporting national economic data.

  • Private use: Businesses and analysts can also use WZ codes to conduct market research, analyze industry trends, and make investment decisions. For example, business contact lists containing WZ codes is a product available from interfon adress.

  • Academic Research: In addition to its administrative and regulatory uses, the WZ framework is a widely used classification framework for researchers across disciplines in Germany. For example, WZ codes have been used in a methodology to support a renowned public research institute in Germany in finding industry partners.

Upcoming version

Following the release of NACE Rev. 5 in 2023, a review of WZ 2008 is likely to be conducted soon. However, Germany's federal statistical office is yet to make any official announcements in this regard.

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