What Is a CPC Code? Central Product Classification (CPC) Explained (UN Standard)
The Central Product Classification (CPC) is the United Nations product classification used to organize goods and services within a single coherent structure. It supports comparability across countries and across economic datasets by providing a consistent way to describe what is produced, consumed, priced, or traded.
What CPC is designed to do
CPC is used when the goal is to describe the product itself rather than the business activity of the producer. That makes it useful in economic statistics where datasets need a shared product language across industries, countries, and time periods.
Unlike an industry classification, CPC focuses on outputs. It helps statistical systems organize goods and services in a way that supports production statistics, consumption statistics, price programs, supply-use frameworks, and parts of trade analysis.
- It standardizes product reporting across economic statistics.
- It supports comparability across countries and across datasets.
- It covers both goods and services within one framework.
CPC is a statistical product classification. It is not a tariff schedule and it is not the legal customs classification used to assign duties at the border.
How to read a CPC code
CPC is hierarchical. The structure allows users to move from broad product areas to more detailed subclasses, depending on the level of precision needed in the data.
Visual hierarchy example
Construction and construction services
Constructions
Buildings
Non-residential buildings
Industrial buildings
CPC linkages: products, industries, and traded goods
CPC becomes more useful when it is understood alongside other international standards. Each system answers a different question.
- ISIC classifies economic activities and industries.
- CPC classifies products, including both goods and services.
- HS classifies transportable goods in international trade and customs reporting.
| Standard | What it classifies | Primary purpose | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | Goods and services | Economic statistics comparability | Standardize product reporting across production, consumption, price, and trade-related datasets |
| HS | Transportable goods in international trade | Customs and trade statistics | Classify goods for import and export documentation and tariff schedules |
| ISIC | Economic activities and industries | Industry comparability | Classify establishments by primary activity and relate them to outputs |
CPC 3.0 status
The UN classification program has moved CPC forward beyond Version 2.1, with Version 3 introduced through the UN statistical revision process. This newer revision reflects the need for clearer treatment of modern products and services, including more current digital, technology-enabled, and environmental categories.
At the same time, many datasets and programs still rely on CPC Version 2.1 as the operating reference. In practice, users should always note the version being used and treat any conversion between versions as a documented mapping rather than an exact substitution.
Best practice: always record the CPC version used in a dataset, table, or publication so results remain clear and auditable over time.
The data bridge: activity to product to traded goods
Many real-world datasets need to move between an industry view, a product view, and a trade view. These systems are related, but they do not replace one another.
Worked example
Industry (ISIC)
ISIC 1071 — Manufacture of bakery products
Product (CPC)
CPC 23410 — Crispbread, rusks, toasted bread, and similar toasted products
Trade (HS)
HS 190540 — Rusks, toasted bread, and similar toasted products
The industry code identifies the activity, CPC identifies the product output, and HS is used when the product is a transportable good being traded across borders.
Why CPC codes are used
- To standardize product reporting across economic statistics.
- To support supply-use and input-output analysis.
- To improve comparability across countries.
- To connect product classifications with industry and trade classifications.
- To provide one framework that covers both goods and services.
FAQ
- Is CPC the same as HS?
No. HS is used for customs and international trade in goods. CPC is a broader product classification used for economic statistics and covers both goods and services. - Why does CPC link to ISIC?
ISIC classifies activities and industries, while CPC classifies outputs. Linking them helps connect producers to the products they make or provide. - Which CPC version should I reference in 2026?
Version 2.1 remains widely used in many operational systems, while Version 3 reflects the current modernization track. It is best to state the version used clearly in any table, dataset, or publication. - Does CPC include services and digital products?
Yes. CPC covers services as well as goods, and newer revision work gives clearer treatment to modern digital and technology-enabled areas. - Where does CPC fit alongside NAICS?
NAICS classifies establishments by industry. CPC classifies products and outputs. In many datasets, NAICS helps identify the producer and CPC helps identify what is produced or transacted.
Guidance sources
The following official references define CPC, its revision history, and its relationship to related international standards.