April 2026 update
We are pleased to announce the publication of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2026 framework and integral explanatory notes. This has been ratified by the National Statistician’s Advisory Panel. It follows the results of the Public consultation on UK SIC alignment and the subsequent UK SIC 2026 revision process for the UK SIC of Economic Activities (UK SIC2026).
Thanks to input from users and producers of UK SIC, which includes interested parties from trade bodies, businesses, government and devolved government departments, and academia, we have reviewed the previous SIC2007 classification and updated it for SIC2026. UK SIC now better reflects today’s UK economy. It also maintains international comparability with Eurostat's Nomenclature of Economic Activities (NACE Rev. 2.1 ) and the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC Rev. 5).
We will now produce the associated documentation, as we did for SIC2007, namely the main volume, which includes the classification methodology, the structure and full explanatory notes, and the indexes. We will also be compiling a correlation from SIC2007 to SIC2026. All SIC information will be available in our UK SIC 2026 revision process. We will no longer publish hardcopy manuals for SIC.
Future updates
Following publication of the SIC2026 framework and integral explanatory notes, the explanatory notes will be reviewed annually and a revision published of any updates received and agreed.
The updates will not involve a full revision exercise. Instead, it will be an opportunity to update any anomalies, errors, or legal issues identified and notified to us by stakeholders, as a result of the SIC revision exercise and SIC2026 being implemented and used. These updates should only entail small minor revisions to improve the classification, such as adding, replacing or deleting a word or phrase or two, rather than a a full rewrite.
Of particular relevance to keeping the classification up to date is the emergence and anticipated growth of AI-related activities. For SIC2026, it was agreed to separate general-purpose AI software and AI model development from other general-purpose software at the 5-digit level. As part of the new annual revision process for the explanatory notes, there is scope to reflect changes in AI activity that may have wider implications across the framework. There will also be a further opportunity to consider the classification treatment of AI in the forthcoming review of product classifications.
In addition, there may be similar level minor revisions to Eurostat’s NACE Rev 2.1, or the United Nation’s Statistical Department’s ISIC Rev. 5, which the UK will need to consider to ensure we maintain the agreed international alignment. We invite users to notify of us of any anomalies identified and these will be reviewed and collated over the year. An update to the SIC framework and guidance manuals will be published annually on 31 March. This process will be communicated as we did for the recent SIC revision exercise, via the cross Government Statistical Service (GSS).
Once published, for the SIC Index, we will have the opportunity for more iterative updates to reflect some small changes, where these are in line with the classification structure and methodology. We will publish details on publication of the SIC Index in the coming year.
The framework structure will be reviewed in line with those of Eurostat’s updating of NACE, in order to maintain the agreed international alignment; though the UK may follow after, rather than simultaneously. The frequency of revisions for international classifications of economic activity are the subject of current discussions on the international agenda for the United Nations Statistical Division. There are no timelines to be shared on this at present. We are also investigating the challenges and opportunities for a more dynamic revision of UK SIC in the future. Currently, the process of implementing any new framework is a very detailed and technical one which will be factored into our considerations.
March 2026 update
Publication of the final UK Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) framework has been delayed due to final governance processes to ensure the framework is formally ratified before publication. We now aim to publish by the end of April 2026.
February 2026 update
We are pleased to update you on the SIC revision and plans for SIC2026, and invite you to share any feedback on the updated proposed SIC2026 framework by 5pm on Monday 16 February 2026.
As part of the SIC Revision, coordinators engaged and gathered responses from their stakeholders in business, trade and academia. The coordinators received a higher number of initial proposals than the ONS count quoted below, as they conducted the triage of all proposals sent to them from their stakeholders, including improvement suggestions submitted from wider interested parties, who engaged via the Expressions of Interest form on the ONS website. Once triaged, the coordinators submitted their final consolidated and agreed proposals to ONS.
By the submission deadline, ONS received 173 formal proposals from coordinators across the Government Statistical Service. We reviewed all formal submissions against the criteria set for the revision process. As of today, of the 173 proposals, 85 are accepted, 23 rejected, 1 is partially rejected, and 64 are counter proposed, with discussions still underway. Decisions have been communicated to submitting coordinators, and an updated proposed version of the framework is now shared on the Classification pages of the ONS website.
Share your feedback
We are now sharing the updated proposed SIC2026 framework with you, and all interested parties, and invite you to submit any feedback for a final review.
Please note that this is not a full consultation, it is an opportunity for you to comment on the proposed final version of the framework structure now that all proposals have been considered. Therefore any comments are to be submitted via email within a two-week period following publication. Please submit to SIC.revision@ons.gov.uk by 5pm on Monday 16 February 2026.
Next steps
Please note that it is the structure of the framework that is currently being shared; details on explanatory notes, with inclusions and exclusions will be finalised separately in readiness for publication at the end of March 2026.
Your feedback will be shared with cross-government coordinators to review and the governing SIC Steering Group will approve and ratify the final version for publication. The group will be meeting on 26 February 2026 for endorsement and ratification of the final framework.
Where agreement cannot be reached within the Steering Group, any dispute resolution is proposed to be the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority
The timings here will allow for delivery of the final SIC2026 publication, as scheduled, for end March 2026.
July 2025 update
We are pleased to announce the launch of the revision of UK Standard Industrial Classification (UK SIC). This is in line with the results of the Public consultation on UK SIC alignment.
We invite all users, producers, and interested parties to contribute to the revision of the current SIC 2007 to create the new SIC 2026 framework. The project is governed by a cross-government Steering Group, including Statistical Heads of Profession (HoPs) from the UK Government Statistical Service (GSS).
We are sharing the Proposed SIC framework (XLSX, 330KB) for you to review and comment on. It is a starter guide showing how UK SIC has and could further change, in line with Eurostat's Nomenclature of Economic Activities (NACE). The proposed framework outlines our initial workings, following the revision of related international classifications: the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) and Eurostat's NACE. It may not include representations already made through the consultation and international revisions. Stakeholder views and suggestions for changes to the UK SIC framework will continue to be considered through the coordinator process.
Information on the changes and intended future work by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), in collaboration with other government departments, and input from the coordinators, is provided in our SIC 2026 Framework Guidance (DOCX, 32KB).
The proposed SIC 2026 framework has been divided across a team of cross-government coordinators according to activity expertise areas. Coordinators will engage and review stakeholders' comments and proposals and will submit an agreed, consolidated proposal to the ONS. This process will take approximately three months.
Timeline
All interested parties will express their area of interest (outlined in the Help shape the updated SIC framework section) by 30 September 2025.
Coordinators will submit finalised proposals to the ONS by 31 October 2025.
Governance reviews and approvals will follow, with the SIC 2026 framework to be published by 31 March 2026.
Help shape the updated SIC framework
If you are already in contact and engaged with a SIC revision coordinator for your area of interest, your views will be fed in via their stakeholder engagement and revision process. You will not need to complete an Expression of Interest form.
To help shape the updated SIC framework, please use our Expression of interest form (now closed).
You will be asked to select which activities of the classification you are interested in and the reason for your interest. When you submit this form, it will be sent to the ONS's SIC revision team. They will review and forward it to the most appropriate coordinator. The coordinator will add you to their stakeholder list and will contact you to discuss your input.
Coordinators will engage with all stakeholders and contributors, collect all submissions, and quality assure them against the criteria in place for this revision.
Proposals are invited at the 5-digit subclass level, with exceptional cases at the 4-digit class level of the classification, both to be in line with the set revision criteria.
Next steps and decision-making process
All contributions and expressions of interest forms will be considered, though not all will be included in the coordinators’ final proposal. Decisions on what to include will be made by each coordinator.
Following the submission of all coordinator proposals, a final framework will be created by the ONS. This framework will be considered and approved by the cross-government Steering Group. Where agreement cannot be reached within the Steering Group, any dispute resolution will be the responsibility of the National Statistician. Once agreed, the final SIC 2026 framework will be ratified by the National Statistician’s Committee on Standards for Economic Statistics (NSCASE). This consolidation and approval process will run between November 2025 and March 2026.
Contact
For further information, please contact SIC.revision@ons.gov.uk