Standard Industrial Classification will be revised
Statistics Finland has revised the industry classification TOL 2008 in collaboration with national data providers during the years 2021–2024. The new industry classification TOL 2025 will be gradually implemented in national systems and statistics starting from the end of 2025. Data deliveries classified according to the new industry classification at the unit level (business ID) from Statistics Finland's business register to partners and paying service customers will begin in January 2026 (see more details below in the section TOL 2025 data deliveries). Statistics using the industry classification will transition to the new industry classification according to their own schedules.
Explore the new industry classification
The structure of the new industry classification TOL 2025, i.e., the codes and names of the classes, is almost entirely final, but minor changes to these are still possible. The Finnish classification (codes, titles, and description text) is complete. The missing Swedish and English materials will be updated on the classification pages as they become available.
Finland's industry classification TOL fully adheres to the European NACE classification at levels 1–4. For its national specific needs, Finland defines its own 5-digit level. In other words, Finland's industry classification is the European NACE classification, enriched by Finland with a 5-digit level reflecting national specific needs.
Statistics Finland has investigated, in collaboration with national data providers, which activities it is appropriate for Finland to monitor in more detail than the rest of Europe. The 5-digit class code ends in zero (0) when Finland does not make a national subclass division, and from one to nine (1–9) when Finland monitors activities in more detailed nationally defined entities.
How is the new industry classification TOL 2025 structured?
The new industry classification has been compiled by adding to the new structure of the NACE classification those national 5-digit classes from Finland's TOL 2008 classification that have retained their significance. Significance refers to the size or value of the activity in the national economy, as well as the importance of the subclass division in societal analysis. The change in significance has been examined from the time the TOL 2008 classification has been in use, from 2008 to the present.
In the second phase, the 5-digit class division of the new classification was reviewed in collaboration with national data providers. Some criteria for subclass division were updated, and some were enriched by separating new national 5-digit classes from the European 4-digit classes.
These changes increase the accuracy and usability (relevance) of the industry classification for users of statistical data.
The significance of the industry classification
In statistics, industry classification is essential: it is used in the data collection of business and economic statistics, and the data of several statistics are published by industry. Industry classification also enables the international comparison of business and economic data by country.
Industry classification is also utilized in many national systems, such as those related to taxation and insurance, as well as in legislation, for example.
Industry classification is a tool for describing the economy and society, which should maintain its accuracy over time. The industry classification is updated to account for changes in the economy, such as technological advancements, the emergence of new types of economic activities, digitalization, and other cross-cutting changes.
Finland's national industry classification is derived from the European NACE industry classification. An EU regulation is always issued for the NACE classification, which binds Statistics Finland as the national statistical authority and EU data producer to use the common classification. The European NACE industry classification is, in turn, derived from the UN's ISIC industry classification. To ensure that the national and international data reported according to the industry classification remain comparable, the classifications must be updated simultaneously at the UN, European, and Finnish levels.
TOL 2025 data deliveries
Data deliveries classified according to the new industry classification at the unit level (business ID) from Statistics Finland's business register to partners and paying service customers will begin in January 2026. The industry-related information in Statistics Finland's business register is public information based on the Statistics Act, so it is not subject to confidentiality, which allows the delivery of unit-level data to various parties. The work done in the business register benefits all organizations that need industry information in their operations and increases the coherence of industry information in society. This also eliminates the need for organizations to make their own industry conversions from the old to the new classification. The first data will be delivered for the use of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) and the Tax Administration, as well as their joint business information system YTJ.