Industrial classification system
The industrial classification system is a standard used to categorise companies according to their economic activity. Each country applies its own coding system to identify the industries in which registered companies operate.
What is it?
The IndustrySystem field indicates which industrial coding system is used in a given country. These systems group companies with similar activities, making sector segmentation and analysis easier.
The most common systems include:
- CNAE in Spain
- NAF in France
- ATECO in Italy
- SCIAN in Mexico
These codes are used by government bodies, business databases, and market analysis platforms to structure economic information consistently.
What is it for?
For data and B2B sales teams, the IndustrySystem has multiple applications:
- Precise market segmentation by industrial sector.
- Facilitating comparisons between companies within the same industry.
- Standardising business data across international databases.
- Optimising commercial strategies based on sector activity.
Using the appropriate industrial classification system improves market analysis quality and ensures that companies are comparable within their sector.
Systems by country
Each country uses its own industrial classification system. Below are the systems used in Spain, France, Italy, and Mexico.
Spain
| Code | Classification system |
|---|---|
CNAE | Clasificación Nacional de Actividades Económicas (CNAE) |
The CNAE is the Spanish standard for classifying economic activities. It is mandatory for companies registered with the Commercial Registry and is based on the European NACE nomenclature.
France
| Code | Classification system |
|---|---|
NAF | Nomenclature d'Activités Française (NAF) |
The NAF is the official classification system in France, managed by INSEE. It is based on the European NACE classification with country-specific adaptations.
Italy
| Code | Classification system |
|---|---|
ATECO | Classificazione ATECO |
The ATECO system is used in Italy and managed by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). It is based on NACE with adjustments for the Italian economy.
Mexico
| Code | Classification system |
|---|---|
SCIAN | Sistema de Clasificación Industrial de América del Norte (SCIAN) |
The SCIAN system is used in Mexico and was developed jointly with the United States and Canada. It is managed by INEGI and enables harmonised industrial data across North America.
Conclusion
Each country applies its own industrial classification system to categorise companies by economic activity. These systems are essential for sector analysis, market research, and business database segmentation.
In international databases, it is critical to consider the IndustrySystem used in each country to ensure correct interpretation and comparison across regions.