Market Research

North American Product Classification System

NAPCS is a comprehensive, market- or demand-based, hierarchical classification system for products (goods and services) that ...

  1. is not industry-of-origin based but can be linked to the NAICS industry structure,
  2. is consistent across the three North American countries, and
  3. promotes improvements in the identification and classification of service products across international classification systems, such as the Central Product Classification System of the United Nations.

NOTE: NAPCS is related to the NAICS since both are developed and maintained by the Census and updated with the Economic Census.

NAPCS Structure

The 2017 NAPCS structure is a six-level hierarchical structure consisting of 24 sections, 61 subsections, 172 divisions, 276 groups, 497 subgroups, and 1,167 trilateral products.

Section Description
11 Food, beverage, and tobacco products, except raw farm products
14 Clothing, footwear, personal accessories, and related products
17 Housing and related products
21 Household and personal goods, and related products
24 Home entertainment, recreation and culture products, including household pets and related products
27 Automobiles, light-duty trucks, local passenger transportation services, and related products
31 Leisure and long-distance travel, tourism, and accommodation products
34 Educational services, health care and related products for persons, and public, community, and social services, nec., except public administration services
37 Personal care and related products, including funeral products
41 Financial, insurance, and related products, nec.
44 Legal and related products
47 Apartment and nonresidential constructions, and related products
51 Equipment and related products
54 Intellectual property and related products
57 Labor supply and related products, except human resources management consulting services
61 Fuels, utilities, waste management, and environmental remediation services, and related products and services
64 Goods transportation services and related products
67 Materials and supplies for production and related products, except processed food and beverage inputs for human food manufacturing and food services
71 Materials and supplies for services, except lawn and landscaping services
74 Scientific and technical services
77 Advertising, public relations, and communications and information services
81 Accounting, management, administrative, and miscellaneous services
84 Contract manufacturing and related services
87 Public administration services