This sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in activities of a governmental nature, that is, the enactment and judicial interpretation of laws and their pursuant regulations, and the administration of programs based on them. Legislative activities, taxation, national defence, public order and safety, immigration services, foreign affairs and international assistance, and the administration of government programs are activities that are purely governmental in nature. Ownership is not a criterion for classification. Government owned establishments engaged in activities that are not governmental in nature are classified to the same industry as privately owned establishments engaged in similar activities. Government establishments may engage in a combination of governmental and non-governmental activities. When separate records are not available to separate the activities that are not governmental in nature from those that are, the establishment is classified to this sector.

Classification Reference

Official classification fields for this page

Official classification fields taken from the current StatCan source bundle.

Characteristic	Description
Official title	Public administration
Classification	NAICS Canada 2022 Version 1.0
Publishing authority	Statistics Canada
Hierarchical level	Sector
Parent code	Top-level sector
International correspondence	ISIC Rev. 4; harmonized with US and Mexico NAICS at higher levels.
Source	https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects/standard/naics/2022/v1/index
Source verification	2026-05-05

Canada Business Context

Canada-wide tax and filing context

Canada-wide business, tax, and filing context from the local country pack and tax pack.

Characteristic	Description
Tax authority	Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
Business identifier	Business Number (BN): 9-digit identifier with program account suffixes such as RT0001 for GST/HST, RP0001 for payroll, and RC0001 for corporate income tax.
Filing requirements	Business Number registration; Form T2125 (Statement of Business or Professional Activities) attached to T1; Form T2 (Corporation Income Tax Return); Form T5013; Form GST34
Sector authority	No cluster authority recorded in the local country pack.

Classification Confidence Score

3 of 5 factors passing

6/ 10

Verified official source — naics-scian-2022-structure-v1-eng.csv (2026-05-05)

International crosswalk — No international correspondence found

Previous edition migration — NAICS 2017 to 2022 continuity confirmed

Complete hierarchy — 1 levels confirmed in hierarchy

Size or threshold documented — Not applicable for hub levels

Trade or export match — No direct HS code correspondence in current bundle

Legacy crosswalk — Legacy system (SIC 1980) retired in this region

Business Profiles

When you might need code 91

Professions specific to this sector are linked to this part of the Canadian classifier so the page speaks to real work teams.

01 91

Policy analyst

Use this page when the file covers program design memos, legislative files, performance reviews, and cabinet briefing material. It helps confirm whether 91 Public administration is the closest NAICS Canada branch before BN registration, GST/HST review, banking onboarding, procurement notes, or internal classification work.

02 91

Municipal program manager

Use this page when the file covers civic service delivery, municipal operations, program budgets, and service contracts. It helps confirm whether 91 Public administration is the closest NAICS Canada branch before BN registration, GST/HST review, banking onboarding, procurement notes, or internal classification work.

03 91

Public procurement officer

Use this page when the file covers tender files, vendor selection, public purchasing records, and contract administration. It helps confirm whether 91 Public administration is the closest NAICS Canada branch before BN registration, GST/HST review, banking onboarding, procurement notes, or internal classification work.

04 91

Border services administrator

Use this page when the file covers inspection support, border operations records, compliance workflows, and federal service delivery. It helps confirm whether 91 Public administration is the closest NAICS Canada branch before BN registration, GST/HST review, banking onboarding, procurement notes, or internal classification work.

Business Map

Business categories in this branch

A rotating set of business activity examples linked to this part of the Canadian hierarchy.

Source row

91Public administration

This page mirrors the source row from the structure CSV and the matching rows from the elements and crosswalk files.

Frequently asked questions

What does code 91 cover?

Public administration: This sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in activities of a governmental nature, that is, the enactment and judicial interpretation of laws and their pursuant regulations, and the administration of programs based on them. Legislative activities,...

Which level of the hierarchy is 91?

It is a sector page in the NAICS Canada 2026 hierarchy.

What is the parent of 91?

This page sits at the top sector level and has no parent page above it.

Should I stop at 91 or go lower?

5 lower-level item(s) sit under this branch: Federal government public administration, Provincial and territorial public administration, Local, municipal and regional public administration, Indigenous public administration.

Are official inclusion notes attached to 91?

No inclusion rows are attached to this page in the local elements file.

Are there exclusion notes for 91?

No exclusion rows are attached to this page in the local elements file.

Does 91 include illustrative examples?

No example rows are attached on this page in the local elements file.

What kinds of businesses often start from this page?

Examples in this branch include Public safety, Program delivery, Government support, Regulatory services, Municipal operations, Administrative services.

Is there an ISIC mapping for 91?

No ISIC correspondence row is attached to this page.

Does this page show a US NAICS reference?

No same-code US NAICS reference row is attached on this page.

Why are both English and French titles shown?

NAICS Canada is bilingual, so the page keeps both language titles visible for comparison and lookup.

Where does the page text come from?

From the local StatCan structure file, elements file, ISIC crosswalk, and the bundled US 6-digit reference workbook.