WZGermany2025

Klassifikation der Wirtschaftszweige

Germany’s classification of economic activities, maintained by Destatis. WZ 2025 adopts NACE Rev. 2.1 at its first four levels and adds a German 5th-level subclass for national statistical detail.

Browse structure Search WZ

ISIC NAICS NAICS Canada SCIAN SIC UK SIC NACE ATECO NAF WZ NIC ANZSIC JSIC ICNEA KSIC SSIC HSIC

How a WZ code is built

Each digit narrows the activity from the broadest sector down to a specific national industry. Here's how 01.11.0 decomposes:

A · 01.11.0

SectionAgriculture, forestry & fishing

DivisionCrop & animal production

01.1

GroupGrowing of non-perennial crops

01.11

ClassGrowing of cereals

01.11.0

SubclassGrowing of cereals

Structure at a glance

Level	Digits	Count	Example
Section	Letter	22	A Agriculture, forestry and fishing
Division	2-digit	87	01 Crop and animal production
Group	3-digit	287	01.1 Growing of non-perennial crops
Class	4-digit	651	01.11 Growing of cereals
Subclass	5-digit	983	01.11.0 Growing of cereals

Browse sections

AAgriculture, forestry and fishing BMining and Quarrying CManufacturing DElectricity, gas, steam and air conditioning EWater supply; sewerage, waste managemant and remediation activities FConstruction GWholesale and retail trade HTransportation and storage IAccommodation and food service activities JPublishing, broadcasting, and content production and distribution activities KTelecommunication, computer programming, consulting, computing infrastructure and other information service acitivies LFinancial and insurance activities MReal estate activities NProfessional, scientific and technical activities OAdministrative and support service activities PPublic administration and defence; compulsory social security QEducation RHuman health and social work activities SArts, sports and recreation TOther service activities UActivities of households as employers and undifferentiated goods- and service-producing activities of households for own use VActivities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies

History

The Klassifikation der Wirtschaftszweige has tracked NACE since 1993 (WZ 2003, WZ 2008). WZ 2025 aligns Germany with NACE Rev. 2.1 while keeping deeper national subclasses.

Usage & importance

Used by Destatis, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit and German trade registers for statistics and business registration. Levels 1–4 are exactly NACE Rev. 2.1, so European conversions are one-to-one.

Revision timeline

1993

WZ 93

First NACE-aligned edition

2008

WZ 2008

NACE Rev. 2 alignment

2025

WZ 2025

Current edition (NACE Rev. 2.1)

Convert WZ codes to any other system

Verified crosswalks between WZ and the other sixteen systems, both sides clickable.

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