NAICS Code 92 — Public Administration

Sector in the official 2022 North American Industry Classification System (U.S. Census Bureau). It contains 8 direct sub-codes.

Code	92
Title	Public Administration
Level	Sector (2-digit)
Edition	NAICS 2022 edition

Official definition (2022 NAICS)

The Sector as a Whole

The Public Administration sector consists of establishments of federal, state, and local government agencies that administer, oversee, and manage public programs and have executive, legislative, or judicial authority over other institutions within a given area. These agencies also set policy, create laws, adjudicate civil and criminal legal cases, and provide for public safety and for national defense. In general, government establishments in the Public Administration sector oversee governmental programs and activities that are not performed by private establishments. Establishments in this sector typically are engaged in the organization and financing of the production of public goods and services, most of which are provided for free or at prices that are not economically significant.

Government establishments also engage in a wide range of productive activities covering not only public goods and services but also individual goods and services similar to those produced in sectors typically identified with private-sector establishments. In general, ownership is not a criterion for classification in NAICS. Therefore, government establishments engaged in the production of private-sector-like goods and services should be classified in the same industry as private-sector establishments engaged in similar activities.

As a practical matter, it is difficult to identify separate establishment detail for many government agencies. To the extent that separate establishment records are available, the administration of governmental programs is classified in Sector 92, Public Administration, while the operation of governmental programs is classified elsewhere in NAICS based on the activities performed. For example, the governmental administrative authority for an airport is classified in Industry 92612, Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs, while operating the airport is classified in Industry 48811, Airport Operations. When separate records for multi-establishment companies are not available to distinguish between the administration of a governmental program and the operation of it, the establishment is classified in Sector 92, Public Administration.

Examples of government-provided goods and services that are classified in sectors other than Public Administration include: schools, classified in Sector 61, Educational Services; health care facilities, classified in Sector 62, Health Care and Social Assistance; establishments operating transportation facilities, classified in Sector 48-49, Transportation and Warehousing; the operation of utilities, classified in Sector 22, Utilities; and the Government Printing Office, classified in Subsector 323, Printing and Related Support Activities.

Codes under 92

Code	Title
921	Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support
922	Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities
923	Administration of Human Resource Programs
924	Administration of Environmental Quality Programs
925	Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development
926	Administration of Economic Programs
927	Space Research and Technology
928	National Security and International Affairs

Related Sector codes

• 11 — Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
• 21 — Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
• 22 — Utilities
• 23 — Construction
• 31-33 — Manufacturing
• 42 — Wholesale Trade
• 44-45 — Retail Trade
• 48-49 — Transportation and Warehousing
• 51 — Information
• 52 — Finance and Insurance
• 53 — Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
• 54 — Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• 55 — Management of Companies and Enterprises
• 56 — Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
• 61 — Educational Services
• 62 — Health Care and Social Assistance
• 71 — Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
• 72 — Accommodation and Food Services
• 81 — Other Services (except Public Administration)

Data: official 2022 NAICS structure, descriptions and Census concordances, U.S. Census Bureau — U.S. government works in the public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). Suggested reference, not an official determination.