The aggregated classifications of NAF Rev. 2

Chantal Madinier

Description

France's new classification of activities, NAF Rev. 2, comprises five perfectly nested levels. However, at the international level, aggregated classifications have become necessary for preparing certain statistics and for dissemination purposes. International bodies have accordingly defined three supplementary levels: A 10, A 38, and A 64. France has added two levels of its own for national use: A 17 and A 129.

Sujets

• INSEE
• Économie

Informations

• Publié par: insee
• Nombre de lectures: 62
• Langue: English

Extrait

The aggregated classifications
1of NAF Rev. 2
! Chantal Madinier*
France’s new classification of activities, NAF Rev. 2, comprises five perfectly nested levels. However, at the international
level, aggregated classifications have become necessary for preparing certain statistics and for dissemination purposes.
International bodies have accordingly defined three supplementary levels: A 10, A 38, and A 64. France has added two
levels of its own for national use: A 17 and A 129.
Structure of NAF Rev. 2
he latest version of the French Tc lassification of Activities, n AF
Rev. 2, is fully nested in the eU
classification, n Ace Rev. 2. The five-
character coding system chosen for
n AF (four digits and one letter) has
become very legible with respect to
n Ace since the root (the four digits)
is the n Ace code. It will no longer be
necessary, as with n AF Rev. 1, to use
a correspondence table in order to
find the n Ace equivalent.
nAF Rev. 2 is divided into five perfectly
nested levels:
– 21 sections (noted A to U, but they
do not appear in the code structure)
– 88 divisions (noted 01 to 88, which The Palace of Nations is the home of the United Nations Office in Geneva
form the first two characters of the
code)
of 224 groups, and the fifth of 712 particular, to satisfy national-
– 272 groups (noted 01.1 to 99.0, accounting requirements.classes. The structure of nAF Rev. 1
which form the first three characters was identical to that of nAce Rev. 1
of the code) Some users demand results in down to group level. The 712 classes
classifications far more aggregated of nAF Rev. 1 were effectively nested
– 615 classes: this is the nAce level than the 21-section level, while others in the 514 classes of nAce Rev. 1 but
(four digits) want an intermediate level between
this was not visible in the coding.
the 21 sections and 88 divisions.
– 732 sub-classes: this is the nAF
Moreover, the data are not always
level (when classes are subdivided, The need for aggregated available and reliable for all levels.
the fifth character is A, B, c, etc.; for classifications These reasons had already led InSee
undivided classes, the fifth character
to offer a “Summary economic
is Z). Although the system adopted for nAF c lassification” (n omenclature
Rev. 2 already comprised five levels Économique de Synthèse: neS) in the
nAF Rev. 1 also included five
previous revision. neS was intended of detail, additional grouping aggregation levels but the
to satisfy national-accounting and are necessary besides the “standard” differences are very significant. The
ISIc and nAce levels, i.e., sections most aggregated level comprised
* chantal Madinier is Head of InSee’s Standards and divisions. These supplementary 17 sections. These were broken
and Information Systems Unit.levels are designed to meet the down into 31 sub-sections for 1. originally published as “Les nomenclatures
needs arising from the production of agrégées de la n AF rév. 2,” Courrier des manufacturing and the mining and
statistiques (French series), no. 125, nov.-summary data for economic analysis quarrying industries. The third level
Dec. 2008, pp. 55-59, http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/
consisted of 62 divisions, the fourth and for dissemination purposes—in docs_ffc/cs125i.pdf.
courrier des statistiques, english series no. 15, 2009 55
Source: Wikipediachantal Madinier
dissemination needs. This strictly
French classification was developed Box 1: Coding adopted for aggregated classifications
in the mid-1990s after the adoption
The first step was to assign a name to each level. existing names were kept for
of nAF and the retirement of the
the basic nAF levels: sections, divisions, groups, and classes. new aggregation
“c lassifications of Activities and
levels will be designated by A (for “aggregation”) followed by the number of
Products” (n omenclatures des categories involved. For example, the most aggregated level, which comprises
Activités et des Produits: nAP). 10 categories, will be called A 10. For the sake of consistency in the “general
It comprised three levels (16, 36, dissemination” levels, the division level will also be called A 88.
and 114), plus a “working level” for
each of the ten aggregation levels must be identifiable by means of a relatively
internal use by national accountants simple coding. For nAF Rev. 2 basic levels, the code is numerical from sections
(level 472). neS was not nested in the down to classes and is fully nested. The 21 sections are lettered from A to U.
tree structure: in particular, levels neS For the other aggregation levels, we adopted the following guidelines:
36 and 16 were incompatible with – use a simple, logical, meaningful coding, and select only fixed-length codes
the nAF Rev. 1 structure of divisions, – regard the coding of levels A 21 and A 88 as final and as supplying the
sections, and sub-sections (Diagram). reference framework
– ensure consistency between levels: two codes can be identical if and only if n or did ne S allow international
the corresponding categories have identical content.comparisons. For the 2008 revision,
France had proposed to the U.n. and InSee proposed this coding to international organizations but their work
eurostat that an neS-type summary schedule was incompatible with ours. As a result, no decisions have yet been
classification should be preserved. taken at international level.
The choice of grouping levels not The chosen coding optimizes the use of section letters and division digits. For
nested in the tree structure and too example, level A 10 is coded with two letters on the “XY” model. X and Y are
the first and last letters of the sections included in the grouping. For example, oriented toward product purpose was
“Manufacturing, mining and quarrying and other industrial activities”, which definitively ruled out. The classification
comprises sections B to e, is coded Be.of products by purpose (intermediate-
For groupings that contain a single section, the last letter is Z. This arrangement consumption products, investment
is of the same kind as the choice made for nAF Rev. 2 sub-classes, which are products, durable consumer products,
identical to the corresponding nAce Rev. 2 classes.
and non-durable products)
Level A 38 will also have a two-letter code, of the Xy type, where X is the section does pose inextricable problems, as
code and y the subdivision rank but in letter form. When the section is not
many products are multiple-use or
subdivided, the second letter is Z.
even generic. Having taken stock
examples:
of this situation, France’s n ational
– “Agriculture, forestry and fishing,” which is not subdivided, is coded AZ
commission for economic and Social
– “Manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco products,” the first
classifications (cnneS) approved the subdivision of section c, is coded cA.
abandonment of neS in 2005.
Level A 129 is coded with four characters on the “WxyZ” model, where W is
the section, xy the division and Z the rank in letter form. For instance, the first
subdivision of division 17, “Manufacture of pulp, paper and paperboard,” is Choices made for 2008
coded c17A.revision
But the need for additional aggregation
levels was recognized. The goal, of
course, is to allow the most relevant
A 129, complete the system. These
international comparisons possible.
Box 2: Levels used for five additional aggregation levels,
The construction of these levels was dissemination of main sourcesassociated with nAF Rev. 2, were
supervised by oecD (largely on the
defined after consultations with the
The most detailed dissemination basis of French proposals) and led
various units responsible for accounts level currently planned depends on to the creation of two additional
in specific economic sectors and with the sources. In national accounting, levels: level A 10 (high level) and
ministerial statistical offices (Services the plan is to disseminate annual
A 38 (intermediate). These levels do
national accounts at A 88 level, and Statistiques Ministériels: SSMs). The
not form part of the official ISIc the quarterly accounts at A 17 level. initial version of the new system was
and nAce structures, but the U.n. For short-term economic analysis, presented to cnneS at its meeting of
strongly recommends their use. the main indices (such as IPI and
June 14, 2007, and at the october 16,
VAT) will be disseminated using a The eU, for national-accounting
2007, session of the cnIS “Business modified A 38 classification. Most requirements, adopted a 64-category
statistics” cross-sectional task force. annual enterprise surveys (eAes) grouping level (A 64) compatible
It was repeatedly discussed at the will be published at n AF class
with the nAce Rev. 2 structure. Two
level. In the social sphere, the main Steering committee on “coordination
other strictly French levels, A 17 and results will be released at A 38 level of classification changes” (comité
with some products