Help Update How Canada Classifies Industries

Official title: Invitation to participate in the revision of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Canada

Closed Policy & Studies Economy & Jobs
Statistics Canada wants your input on how industries are categorized. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard way governments track economic activity by sector. If your business doesn't fit neatly into existing categories, or if you think certain industries need their own classification, now's your chance to propose changes.

Why This Matters

Ever wonder why your business gets lumped in with companies that do something completely different? This classification system determines how the government tracks and reports on industries. It affects everything from economic statistics to how policies target specific sectors. If emerging industries like cannabis or internet publishing needed their own categories, this is how it happened.

What Could Change

New industry categories could be created for emerging sectors. Existing categories might be split, merged, or clarified. The next version, NAICS Canada 2027, will be released in January 2027. Changes at the 6-digit level are Canada's decision alone, while broader changes require agreement with the US and Mexico.

Key Issues

  • Are there economic activities that don't fit into any existing NAICS category?
  • Are there industry descriptions that are vague, unclear, or hard to distinguish from each other?
  • Should certain activities have their own dedicated NAICS category?
  • Is the terminology used in NAICS outdated and in need of updating?

How to Participate

  1. Review the current NAICS Canada 2022 Version 1.0 to understand the existing classification structure.
  2. Prepare your proposal following the consultation guidelines, including your rationale and any supporting data on the economic significance of proposed changes.
  3. Submit your proposal by email to statcan.naics-consultation-scian-consultation.statcan@statcan.gc.ca. Include your name, organization, mailing address, email, and phone number.

Key Documents