New SBI codes provide a clearer picture of the economy
Reliable data on economic growth, price changes, investments, turnover and employment is essential for informed decision-making. In order to produce statistics, CBS draws on data from the records of various institutions, such as the Netherlands Tax Administration (Belastingdienst). Where necessary, CBS also conducts its own additional research among citizens and businesses.
‘Starting this year, businesses may notice new SBI codes in our surveys.
We will introduce the SBI 2025 codes into our surveys gradually,’ explains Patrick Baart, SBI project manager at CBS. ‘This will enable us to provide an even clearer and more accurate picture of the economy. For example, in 2008 the solar panel industry was just starting up and did not have its own code. With the new 2025 codes we can identify this industry specifically, and provide an accurate picture of its size.’
‘In 2026, we will apply the new SBI 2025 codes to approximately 44 of our 170 business statistics. The transition is expected to be completed within four years, which reflects the timetable agreed for EU countries.’
From 2026 onwards, some business will be surveyed by CBS in a different way than before. Users of our statistics, such as researchers or government bodies, may come across data based on the new SBI codes. The update has been initiated by Eurostat, the European statistics agency, which coordinates the SBI codes for the whole of the EU and requires EU countries to update them every fifteen years.
‘This update will ensure that our statistics reflect today’s economy,’ explains Baart. ‘For example, many new codes have been added, particularly for intermediary services. These are businesses that connect customers with products, services or sellers, such as Marktplaats.nl. Businesses help CBS to build an accurate picture of the economy by completing our surveys.’
A step-by-step approach
The Business Register of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) is the main source of data for CBS’s General Business Register (ABR), which in turn forms the basis for our business surveys. Over three and a half million businesses registered with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce were assigned a new SBI code in September 2025. Some businesses have multiple SBI codes, especially those engaging in multiple business activities, but CBS statistics are based on one code per business, representing its core activity.Thorough preparation
The introduction of the new codes means the start of a new cycle in our statistics. This required two years of thorough preparation, with the KVK working closely with CBS. CBS is responsible for the application of the SBI codes in the Netherlands, while the KVK is tasked with assigning the correct SBI codes to businesses based on the description of each business’s activities.
Baart continues: ‘This work largely involved assigning new codes to businesses, for which CBS created a conversion table. The KVK developed tools to determine the correct SBI 2025 codes based on the previous codes used, the conversion table, and notes from both the SBI 2008 and SBI 2025 classifications.’
Impact on businesses
‘The transition may affect businesses differently depending on the type of survey, the sector and the business activity. In many surveys, hardly anything will change for businesses. The surveys will be almost the same as they were before.’‘The automotive industry, however, will notice more significant changes in our surveys,’ Baart continues. ‘Previously, all the businesses in that sector used a single SBI code, even though it included a wide range of business activities. There are wholesalers active in the supply of vehicles, there are retailers that sell direct to consumers, and there are garages that provide repair or maintenance services. So last year each business was assigned a code that represents its core activity. This is also relevant for our surveys. In the past, all businesses in the automotive industry were asked to complete the same automotive questionnaire. Under the new SBI classification system, businesses in wholesale services, retail services and repair services will receive different questionnaires that include specific questions on their core activity. They will still be asked the same questions about the car trade more generally, and the content will remain largely the same. The name of the survey will be different, though.’
Just as quick and easy for respondents
One of the principles of the SBI update is that businesses should not have to spend any more time completing the surveys than before – and ideally, less time. ‘If changes have been made to a survey, we’ll inform businesses on our website,’ Baart says.Publication
Starting this year, more of CBS’s surveys will be based on the SBI 2025 codes. This will sometimes involve some extra work for CBS. ‘For example, if Eurostat asks us to publish statistics based on both the old and the new SBI codes during the transition year, we will have to publish data using the new codes under the old classification as well. We will also backdate data series, which means that data series from previous years compiled using the old SBI classification will be published using the new one. For users of CBS data, it will be clearly stated which SBI codes the data is based on.’‘So until the new codes have been incorporated into all the surveys, CBS will offer two registers: one based on the old codes and one on the new codes. Some combined publications, such as the SME Dashboard will include data based on both classifications, presenting various statistics,’ Baart says. ‘Some statistics have not been compiled using the new codes and are still based on the old ones. Other statistics have already made the switch and are already based on the new codes. We always indicate clearly where that is the case.’