Classification of Economic Activities, 2008 edition (WZ 2008)
The Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE) has been designed as a basis for a harmonised statistical recording of the economic activities of enterprises, local units and other statistical units across the European Union. Based on the European classification, a national Classification of Economic Activities (WZ) was developed, taking into account the country’s national needs. At certain intervals, however, the classifications have to be revised in order to consider both changing conditions and requirements. In this context, the WZ 2003 has been replaced by the new WZ 2008.
The new classification was prepared in close co-operation with data users and data producers in the business and research communities, in administration and society at large. As a result, a hierarchically structured classification of economic activities has been developed, consisting of 21 sections, 88 divisions, 272 groups, 615 classes and 839 subclasses
The schedule for the introduction of the Classification of Economic Activities, 2008 edition (WZ 2008), includes several steps:
- Statistics on economic activities carried out since January 2008 (reference period) should as a rule be compiled on the basis of WZ 2008.
- By contrast, the compilation of short-term economic statistics in accordance with the EU regulation concerning short-term statistics and of the Labour Cost Index will have to be based on the WZ 2008 only from 1 January 2009.
- The WZ 2008 will be applied in the area of national accounts, economic accounts for agriculture, balance of payments statistics and statistics of the international trade in services only at a later time.
The complete breakdown of the WZ 2008 is available here for free download (.pdf, 230 KB) for your internal use. To read the file, you need the Acrobat Reader program, which may also be downloaded free of charge at Adobe.
Further information and publications may be obtained from the Federal Statistical Office.