How is an Irish code confirmed with the Central Statistics Office?

In Ireland, a code is confirmed with the Central Statistics Office, the CSO, which maintains the Business Register and publishes the NACE classification page for Ireland. The CSO states that during 2025 (FIXED, as stated by the Central Statistics Office), Eurostat finalised its NACE guidance documentation and the CSO Business Register completed work on updating the coding of enterprises to NACE Rev. 2.1. From January 2026 onwards (FIXED, as stated by the Central Statistics Office), CSO statistical outputs will begin to be published using NACE Rev.

2.1, starting with Business Statistics and Labour Force Statistics, amongst others, on a gradual basis. The register and the outputs move together, but on different parts of the timetable, and a check must state which part it concerns.

What does the CSO NACE page state?

The CSO NACE page states that NACE is the standard classification of industrial activity in Ireland, and that it is a statistical classification of economic activities developed in the European Community. It describes the four level hierarchy: sections identified by a letter, divisions by two digits, groups by three digits, and classes by four digits. It states that NACE is derived from the United Nations ISIC classification, that it is more detailed than ISIC, and that ISIC and NACE have exactly the same items at the highest levels but NACE is more detailed at lower levels. It also states that NACE coding is based on the principal activity of a unit, where most of the gross value is added, and that a unit should be classified to the category that best describes its activity. That statement describes the coding basis used by the CSO. It does not determine the code for any specific unit, and it does not authorise a reader to apply the principal activity method to a specific business.

What did the Business Register complete?

The CSO states that the Business Register completed work during 2025 (FIXED, as stated by the Central Statistics Office) on updating the coding of enterprises to NACE Rev. 2.1. The Business Register is the frame for business statistics, and the coding update means that the enterprises in the register carry a NACE Rev. 2.1 code for statistical use. The completion of the coding work is not the same as the publication changeover. Publication moves gradually, output by output, according to the timelines set out in EU regulations, as the CSO states. A reader should therefore distinguish three things: the register coding, which the CSO states was completed during 2025; the publication of an output, which begins from January 2026 onwards (FIXED, as stated by the Central Statistics Office) for the first outputs; and the replacement of NACE Rev. 2 across all CSO production, which the CSO describes as happening over time. A check that conflates those three will misdate the statistic and the entry alike.

How is an Irish output checked for its version?

An Irish output is checked in its own note. The CSO states that outputs will begin to be published using NACE Rev. 2.1 from January 2026 onwards (FIXED, as stated by the Central Statistics Office), starting with Business Statistics and Labour Force Statistics, amongst others. The phrase amongst others means that the list is not exhaustive, and the version for any other output must be checked in that output’s metadata or notes. The CSO also directs readers to its NACE Rev. 2.1 changes frequently asked questions page for further information on what to expect as it moves to the new version, and to look for updates from the different statistical production teams. A reader should record the output name, the reference period, the NACE version stated in the output, and the date of the check. A general statement that the CSO has moved to NACE Rev. 2.1, without naming the output, is not a version check.

Item	Record for an Irish check
Register coding	Completed during 2025 (FIXED, as stated by the Central Statistics Office)
Publication start	From January 2026 onwards (FIXED, as stated by the Central Statistics Office), gradual
First outputs named	Business Statistics and Labour Force Statistics, amongst others
Meaning and movement	Eurostat explanatory notes and correspondence tables, via the CSO page

The table separates the register fact from the publication fact. Both are CSO statements, but they answer different questions, and the table keeps them apart.

What does an Irish code not decide?

A code in the CSO Business Register, and a code in a CSO output, are statistical records. They do not decide tax, licensing, funding, collective agreement or social security questions for a specific enterprise. The EUR-Lex summary states that the legislation only applies to the use of the classification for statistical purposes, and does not oblige member states to collect, publish or supply data. The CSO page directs readers to contact the relevant statistical production team for further information about specific transition plans, and to look for updates from those teams. That direction is the correct route for a question about a specific output. A question about an obligation for a specific enterprise belongs to the authority that administers the obligation.

Where is an Irish code confirmed?

The meaning of a category is confirmed in the Eurostat explanatory notes and introductory guidelines, which the CSO page links and summarises. The move between versions is confirmed in the Eurostat correspondence tables. The coding of enterprises is confirmed in the CSO Business Register, and the version of a published output is confirmed in that output’s notes. Confirm the entry with the CSO Business Register, confirm the output version in the output itself, and record the register and publication facts separately.