The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
At the start of your research, it may not be clear what specific industry you should be examining. A good strategy is to find out if your business idea is classified in an industrial classification system. These systems organize industries by assigning them a numeric code. The most commonly used system is the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Once you know your Industry Classification Code you can use this number to:
- Find industry-specific statistics on government websites or in library databases
- Generate lists of competitors in company directories
Another common classification system is the Standard Industry Code (SIC). NAICS have mostly replaced the SIC, but the SIC is still used by some commercial databases. Finding and using these classification systems to effectively search can be tricky, so don't hesitate to ask a librarian for help.
Try These
| Type | Code | Description |
|---|---|---|
| NAICS | 11 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting |
| NAICS | 112 | Animal Production |
| NAICS | 11211 | Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming, including Feedlots |
| NAICS | 11212 | Dairy Cattle and Milk Production |
| NAICS | 11221 | Hog and Pig Farming |
| NAICS | 11231 | Chicken Egg Production |
| NAICS | 11232 | Broiler and Other Meat-Type Chicken Production |
| NAICS | 11233 | Turkey Production |
| NAICS | 11234 | Poultry Hatcheries |
| NAICS | 11241 | Sheep Farming |
| NAICS | 11242 | Goat Farming |
| NAICS | 11251 | Aquaculture |
| NAICS | 1129 | Other Animal Production |
| NAICS | 11291 | Apiculture |
| NAICS | 11292 | Horse and Equine Production |
| NAICS | 11293 | Fur-Bearing Animal and Rabbit Production |
| NAICS | 11299 | All Other Animal Production |
| NAICS | 112991 | Animal Combination Farming |
| NAICS | 112999 | All Other Miscellaneous Animal Production |
| NAICS | 1152 | Support Activities for Animal Production |
| SIC | 02 | Agricultural Production - Livestock and Animal Specialties |
| SIC | 0212 | Beef Cattle, Except Feedlots |
| SIC | 0213 | Hogs |
| SIC | 0214 | Sheep and Goats |
| SIC | 0219 | General Livestock, Except Dairy and Poultry |
| SIC | 0241 | Dairy Farms |
| SIC | 0251 | Broilier, Fryer, and Roaster Chickens |
| SIC | 0253 | Turkeys and Turkey Eggs |
| SIC | 0254 | Poultry Hatcheries |
| SIC | 0259 | Poultry and Eggs, Not Elsewhere Classified |
| SIC | 0271 | Fur-Bearing Animals and Rabbits |
| SIC | 0272 | Horses and Other Equines |
| SIC | 0273 | Animal Aquaculture |
| SIC | 0279 | Animal Specialties, Not Elsewhere Classified |
| SIC | 0291 | General Farms, Primarily Livestock and Animal Specialties |
Search or browse all NAICS or SIC codes on the NAICS Association website. Some NAICS codes are different in Canada — you can search by keyword or browse Canadian NAICS codes at Statistics Canada or Canadian Industry Statistics. To search for a SIC code using a NAICS code and vice versa, use the NAICS & SIC Crosswalks.
For more information about planning your industry research, including identifying your industry codes, check out the video tutorial for Module 3: Planning Your Industry Research.