Standard Industrial Classification

Originally introduced in the 1930s, the SIC system has over time become the central reference framework for statistical surveys, economic analysis and regulatory registry data in the US. Although it has been replaced by the more modern structured NAICS system since 1997, SIC remains relevant in various regulatory and historical contexts, e.g. for the classification of companies in EDGAR filings of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) is a numerical classification scheme developed in the United States for the standardized classification of industries and economic activities. Each industry is assigned a four-digit code that leads from general to increasingly specific activity: The first two digits represent a broad industry, the third digit a sub-sector and the fourth digit the precise industry activity.

Tip: If you are interested in a detailed breakdown of the sectors, you can click on the checkbox to display them.

Further information

Originally introduced in the 1930s, the SIC system has over time become the central reference framework for statistical surveys, economic analysis and government registry data in the US. Although it has been replaced since 1997 by the more modern structured NAICS system, SIC remains relevant in various regulatory and historical contexts, e.g. for the classification of companies in EDGAR filings of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

The structure of the clusters is based on a hierarchical structure:

  • Division/Office - top level of classification, consisting of broad industry sectors;
  • Major Category and Industry Group - intermediate hierarchies for grouping related activities;
  • SIC Code (4-digit code) - unique identification of the specific industry.

Source code(s)

  • Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system - EDGAR (Link)
  • U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission - SEC (Link)
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