Statistical Classification of Economic Activities NACE Rev. 2.1

This section includes the physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products, although this cannot be used as the single universal criterion for defining manufacturing (see remark on processing of waste below). The materials, substances, or components transformed are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing activities. Substantial alteration, renovation or reconstruction of goods is generally considered to be manufacturing.

The output of a manufacturing process may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilisation or consumption, or it may be semi-finished in the sense that it is to become an input for further manufacturing. For example, the output of alumina refining is the input used in the primary production of aluminium, primary aluminium is the input to aluminium wire drawing, and aluminium wire is the input for the manufacture of fabricated wire products.

Manufacture of specialised components and parts of, and accessories and attachments to, machinery and equipment is, as a general rule, classified in the same class as the manufacture of the machinery and equipment for which the parts and accessories are intended. Manufacture of unspecialised components and parts of machinery and equipment, e.g. engines, pistons, electric motors, electrical assemblies, valves, gears, roller bearings, is classified in the appropriate class of manufacturing, without regard to the machinery and equipment in which these items may be included. However, making specialised components and accessories by moulding or extruding plastics materials is included in group 22.2.

Assembly of the component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing. This includes the assembly of manufactured products from either self-produced or purchased components.

The recovery of waste, i.e. the processing of waste into secondary raw materials is classified in group 38.3 (Materials recovery). While this may involve physical or chemical transformations, this is not considered to be a part of manufacturing. The primary purpose of these activities is considered to be the treatment or processing of waste and they are therefore classified in Section E (Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities). However, the manufacture of new final products (as opposed to secondary raw materials) is classified in manufacturing, even if these processes use waste as an input. For example, the production of silver from film waste is considered to be a manufacturing process.

Specialised maintenance and repair of industrial, commercial and similar machinery and equipment is, in general, classified in division 33 (Repair, maintenance and installation of machinery and equipment). However, the repair of computers and personal and household goods is classified in division 95 (Repair of computers and personal and household goods), while the repair of motor vehicles is classified in division 45 (Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles).

The installation of machinery and equipment, when carried out as a specialised activity, is classified in 33.20.

Remark: The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. As a general rule, the activities in the manufacturing section involve the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NACE:
- fresh fish processing (oyster shucking, fish filleting), not done on a fishing boat (see 10.20)
- milk pasteurising and bottling (see 10.51)
- leather converting (see 15.11)
- wood preserving (see 16.10)
- printing and related activities (see 18.1)
- tyre retreading (see 22.11)
- ready-mixed concrete production (see 23.63)
- electroplating, plating, and metal heat treating (see 25.61)
- rebuilding or remanufacture of machinery (e.g. automobile engines, see 29.10)

Conversely, there are activities that, although sometimes involving transformation processes, are classified in other sections of NACE, in other words, they are not classified as manufacturing. They include:
- logging, classified in section A (Agriculture, forestry and fishing),
- beneficiating of agricultural products, classified in section A (Agriculture, forestry and fishing),
- preparation of food for immediate consumption on the premises is classified to division 56 (Food and beverage service activities),
- beneficiating of ores and other minerals, classified in section B (Mining and quarrying),
- construction of structures and fabricating operations performed at the site of construction, classified in section F (Construction),
- activities of breaking bulk and redistribution in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals, sorting of scrap, mixing paints to customer order, and cutting metals to customer order, treatment not resulting into a different good is classified to section G (Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles).

This section includes general construction and specialised construction activities for buildings and civil engineering works. It includes new work, repair, additions and alterations, the erection of prefabricated buildings or structures on the site and also construction of a temporary nature.

General construction is the construction of entire dwellings, office buildings, stores and other public and utility buildings, farm buildings etc., or the construction of civil engineering works such as motorways, streets, bridges, tunnels, railways, airfields, harbours and other water projects, irrigation systems, sewerage systems, industrial facilities, pipelines and electric lines, sports facilities etc.

This work can be carried out on own account or on a fee or contract basis. Portions of the work and sometimes even the whole practical work can be subcontracted out. A unit that carries the overall responsibility for a construction project is classified here.

Also included is the repair of buildings and engineering works.

This section includes the complete construction of buildings (division 41), the complete construction of civil engineering works (division 42), as well as specialised construction activities, if carried out only as a part of the construction process (division 43).

The rental of construction equipment with operator is classified with the specific construction activity carried out with this equipment.
This section also includes the development of building projects for buildings or civil engineering works by bringing together financial, technical and physical means to realise the construction projects for later sale.
If these activities are carried out not for later sale of the construction projects, but for their operation (e.g. rental of space in these buildings, manufacturing activities in these plants), the unit would not be classified here, but according to its operational activity, i.e. real estate, manufacturing etc.

This section includes a variety of activities that support general business operations. These activities differ from those in section M, since their primary purpose is not the transfer of specialised knowledge.

This section includes education at any level or for any profession. The instructions may be oral or written and may be provided by radio, television, Internet or via correspondence.

It includes education by the different institutions in the regular school system at its different levels as well as adult education, literacy programmes etc. Also included are military schools and academies, prison schools etc. at their respective levels. The section includes public as well as private education.

For each level of initial education, the classes include special education for physically or mentally handicapped pupils.

The breakdown of the categories in this section is based on the level of education offered as defined by the levels of ISCED 1997. The activities of educational institutions providing courses on ISCED level 0 are classified in 85.10, on ISCED level 1 in 85.20, on ISCED levels 2-3 in group 85.3, on ISCED level 4 in 85.41 and on ISCED level 5-6 in 85.42.
This section also includes instruction primarily concerned with sport and recreational activities such as tennis or golf and education support activities.

This section includes a wide range of activities to meet varied cultural, entertainment and recreational interests of the general public, including live performances, operation of museum sites, gambling, sports and recreation activities.