The Census Bureau plans to transition most NAICS-based programs and surveys within the Economic Directorate from 2017 NAICS to 2022 NAICS vintage by the end of calendar year 2027.

The U.S. economy is dynamic and new industries emerge, others shrink or become obsolete. To account for these types of changes, NAICS is reviewed and revised every five years (in years ending in 2 and 7) jointly through OMB’s Economic Classification Policy Committee.

For more information regarding NAICS, visit:

2022 NAICS introduced minor revisions, incorporating content and coding updates across a broad range of industries, including Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction; Sector 31-33, Manufacturing; Sector 42, Wholesale Trade; Sector 52, Finance and Insurance; and Sector 81, Other Services (except Public Administration). These updates included adjustments to industry codes and titles, with some NAICS codes being combined or separated within different sectors. A common change involved consolidating multiple NAICS codes into a single classification.

At times, the Census Bureau must suppress estimates due to data quality issues or confidentiality concerns. In certain cases, combining NAICS codes can offer users more accessible data than if estimates for multiple smaller industries were suppressed, particularly in publications featuring more detailed NAICS breakdowns and finer geographic levels.

Major 2022 NAICS revisions reflecting content and coding changes impacted Sector 44-45, Retail Trade, and Sector 51, Information, in which the use of the Internet was removed as an industry distinction.

Perhaps the most significant change from NAICS 2017 to NAICS 2022 is the elimination of Subsector 454, Nonstore Retailers. Establishments previously classified under this subsector are now grouped with store retailers, categorized by the products they sell rather than their sales methods (such as storefront, internet, or direct sales).

A complete list of NAICS changes between 2017 to 2022 can be found in the attachment below.

Census Bureau economic programs are responsible for releasing aggregate estimates on a NAICS basis. The Census Bureau began disseminating data on the 2022 NAICS basis with the publication of the 2022 Economic Census First Look in January 2024. The 2022 Economic Census Geographic Area Statistics, 2023 Annual Business Survey (ABS), and 2022 Nonemployer Statistics (NES), were all released in December 2024, and were the first publications to feature detailed industry statistics using 2022 NAICS.

The Census Bureau expects all economic programs to adopt 2022 NAICS by the end of calendar year 2027, with the exception of two surveys conducted on five-year intervals. The Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) will transition to 2022 NAICS in 2028, while the Commodity Flow Survey will adopt it in 2030.

For programs that maintain time series, historical estimates will be restated to align with the updated 2022 NAICS codes whenever possible. Descriptions of the methods used for restatement will be provided as part of the methodology documentation for each program.

This transition will ensure all Census Bureau economic data users will have the most accurate and relevant information for analyzing industry trends, making informed decisions, and developing economic policies.

Many of the Census Bureaus programs and surveys are not based on NAICS and are not impacted by the 2022 NAICS implementation.

The full implementation schedule can be found in the attachment below.

A full list of out-of-scope programs and surveys can be found in the attachment below.