UK SIC Codes (Standard Industrial Classification) | Overview, Structure & Guidance (SIC 2007)
UK SIC Codes (Standard Industrial Classification): Overview, Structure, and Guidance
The UK Standard Industrial Classification, usually called UK SIC, is the United Kingdom’s framework for classifying business establishments and other statistical units by their economic activity. It supports more consistent reporting, comparison, and analysis across official statistics and common business workflows.
The current major version used across UK statistical and administrative contexts is UK SIC 2007, aligned to NACE Rev. 2, with UK-specific five-digit subclasses where additional national detail is needed.
Browse the official hierarchy
Use the ONS hierarchy tool to navigate UK SIC from section through subclass.
ONS SIC Hierarchy Tool →Understand NACE alignment
See how UK SIC 2007 aligns with the broader European classification structure.
What Is a NACE Code? →See international context
Use ISIC context when comparing UK SIC to broader global statistical frameworks.
What Is an ISIC Code? →Reference scope note: This page is a practical governed overview of UK SIC structure and use. For live official navigation, revision context, and formal source material, use the linked ONS and UK Statistics Authority resources below.
The UK Standard Industrial Classification is the United Kingdom’s official-style framework for grouping business activity into a consistent hierarchy for statistical, administrative, and business-analysis purposes.
At a glance:
How to Read a UK SIC Code
UK SIC is hierarchical. At a high level, it uses sections, shown as letters A–U, then drills down through divisions, groups, and classes. Where needed, the UK also uses five-digit subclasses to add national detail to the four-digit class structure aligned with NACE.
Worked example (how the hierarchy nests)
This illustrates the idea of drilling down from a broad sector to a more specific activity label. Exact labels and available subclasses depend on the official SIC 2007 index and guidance.
| Level | Code | Meaning (example) |
|---|---|---|
| Section | C | Manufacturing |
| Division | 10 | Manufacture of food products |
| Group | 10.1 | Food manufacturing group (example) |
| Class | 10.51 | Dairy-related class (example) |
| Subclass | 10.51/2 | UK-specific subclass detail (example) |
Official navigation tool: UK SIC hierarchy (ONS).
Is This the Most Current Version?
UK SIC 2007 is the current major version used across UK statistical and administrative contexts, with national five-digit subclasses maintained alongside the core structure. There is an established review process for UK SIC 2007, but that does not automatically mean a new version has replaced SIC 2007 yet.
Background on the UK SIC 2007 review process: Review process for UK SIC 2007.
History and Major Revision
UK SIC originated in the mid-20th century and has been revised over time to reflect changes in the economy and to maintain consistency with international statistical standards. The major modern revision is UK SIC 2007, designed to align with NACE Rev. 2 and, at higher levels, the UN’s ISIC framework.
Changes from UK SIC 2003 to UK SIC 2007
The 2007 revision reorganised several section groupings, including separating information and communication and refining utilities and waste-related categories. The mapping below is a simplified section-level view for orientation.
View the SIC 2003 → SIC 2007 section mapping
| SIC 2003 | SIC 2003 Label | SIC 2007 | SIC 2007 Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Agriculture, hunting and forestry | A | Agriculture, forestry and fishing |
| B | Fishing | A | Agriculture, forestry and fishing |
| C | Mining and quarrying | B | Mining and quarrying |
| D | Manufacturing | C | Manufacturing |
| E | Electricity, gas and water supply | D / E | Energy supply / Water and waste activities |
| F | Construction | F | Construction |
| G | Wholesale and retail trade; repair... | G | Wholesale and retail trade; repair... |
| H | Hotels and restaurants | I | Accommodation and food service activities |
| I | Transport, storage and communications | H / J | Transport and storage / Information and communication |
| J | Financial intermediation | K | Financial and insurance activities |
| K | Real estate, renting and business activities | L / M / N | Real estate / Professional services / Administrative support |
| L | Public administration and defence... | O | Public administration and defence... |
| M | Education | P | Education |
| N | Health and social work | Q | Human health and social work activities |
| O | Other community, social and personal activities | R / S | Arts and recreation / Other service activities |
| P | Activities of private households... | T | Households as employers; own-use activities |
| Q | Extraterritorial organisations and bodies | U | Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies |
Note: this is a simplified section-level view for orientation. Use official SIC 2007 index and guidance for precise interpretation and mapping decisions.
What UK SIC Codes Are Used For
Economic statistics
Used for consistent collection, tabulation, and analysis of activity-based data.
Administrative workflows
Used to categorise organisations for reporting and compliance contexts.
Business research
Used for industry benchmarking, market sizing, peer sets, and cross-sector comparison.
Why UK SIC Codes Matter
UK SIC codes provide a stable, standardised way to describe an organisation’s main economic activity so datasets can be compared and aggregated more reliably. In practice, they support analytics, risk assessment, procurement screening, and industry reporting, especially when organisations need repeatable classification rules.
Relationship with NACE and ISIC
UK SIC 2007 is aligned with NACE, the European activity classification, and at higher levels relates to the UN’s ISIC framework. This alignment helps improve comparability across statistical systems.
Interpretation note: UK SIC is not a standalone island. Its alignment with NACE and relationship to ISIC is part of what makes it useful in wider comparative work.
Official Guidance Sources
For the most current authoritative SIC 2007 structure, code navigation, and review context, use these official or near-official materials:
- ONS SIC hierarchy tool: Browse UK SIC hierarchy (Section → Subclass)
- UK SIC 2007 review process: How updates and alignment are reviewed
- Alignment discussion paper: UKSA/NSCASE paper on UK SIC alignment (PDF)
FAQ
- Is UK SIC the same as US SIC?
No. UK SIC is the United Kingdom’s statistical classification of economic activities. US SIC is a separate legacy system used in the United States. - How is UK SIC related to NACE?
UK SIC 2007 is aligned to NACE Rev. 2, with UK subclasses added where extra national detail is needed. - Why do revisions happen?
Revisions reflect economic change and help maintain statistical comparability and alignment requirements. - What should I do if a company does multiple activities?
Classify based on the dominant activity, using the proxy and decision rules specified by the relevant official guidance for that workflow.
Citation and Attribution
Use this format if you need to cite this reference page in documentation or research.
Official SIC 2007 hierarchy and navigation: ONS SIC hierarchy tool.