What is a UNSPSC code? The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code explained

What is UNSPSC?

UNSPSC is an open, hierarchical taxonomy that gives each type of product and service a unique code. Because the codes are the same for every organisation, they let buyers, suppliers and procurement systems refer to the same item without relying on free-text descriptions. Organisations use UNSPSC to classify catalogues and purchases, analyse spending, and match suppliers with the procurement opportunities that are relevant to them.

Who manages UNSPSC

UNSPSC was developed jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Dun & Bradstreet in 1998. GS1 US managed the code set on behalf of UNDP from 2003 until the end of 2024, and UNDP has managed it directly since 2025. The classification is revised regularly through change requests from its users, so new products and services can be added over time. The United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) publishes the UNSPSC codes used by UN suppliers, and the official resources are linked below.

• UNSPSC codes — United Nations Global Marketplace
• UNSPSC — United Nations Development Programme
• How to select UNSPSC codes — UNGM Help Centre

How to read a UNSPSC code

A UNSPSC code has eight digits divided into four levels of two digits each. Each pair of digits narrows the classification, so codes that share their first digits belong to the same branch of products or services.

• The first two digits identify the segment, a broad area of products or services. There are 58 segments in the UNGM code list.
• The third and fourth digits identify the family, a group of related categories within the segment.
• The fifth and sixth digits identify the class, a group of items that share common characteristics or uses.
• The seventh and eighth digits identify the commodity, a specific group of substitutable products or services.
• An optional ninth and tenth digit can describe the business function an organisation performs for the commodity, such as retail or wholesale.

Segments, families and classes keep their own eight-digit codes by ending in zeros: 43210000 is a family and 43211500 is a class. The commodity is the most precise standard level, and its code does not end in 00.

For example, a notebook computer is classified under code 43211503:

• 43000000 — Information Technology Broadcasting and Telecommunications (segment)
• 43210000 — Computer Equipment and Accessories (family)
• 43211500 — Computers (class)
• 43211503 — Notebook computer (commodity)

How UNSPSC codes are used in public procurement

UNSPSC is the classification used across the United Nations system. Suppliers that register on the United Nations Global Marketplace (UNGM) select UNSPSC codes to describe the products and services their company offers, and UN procurement staff use the same codes to classify the opportunities they publish. Many governments, development organisations, e-procurement platforms and private companies also use UNSPSC in supplier registers, catalogues and spend analysis, so choosing the right codes helps buyers find your company and helps you find relevant tenders.

How to find the right UNSPSC codes for your business

Suppliers usually select their own UNSPSC codes when they register with a buyer or a procurement portal. Follow these steps to choose them:

1. List the main products and services you sell, using the terms a buyer would use to describe them.
2. Search the UNSPSC explorer below by keyword or code, and expand the matching segments and families to compare related categories.
3. Choose the most specific codes that accurately describe your offer, and add broader class or family codes when you supply a wide range of related items.
4. Use the same codes consistently in your supplier registrations and profiles, and review them when your offer or the code list changes.

UNSPSC code explorer

Browse more than 13,000 UNSPSC codes, from the 58 segments down to individual commodities, or search by keyword or code. The explorer follows the UNSPSC code list published on the United Nations Global Marketplace.

UNSPSC vs CPV and NAICS codes

UNSPSC classifies products and services, as does the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) used in European public procurement, while NAICS classifies businesses by the industry they operate in. The systems group activities differently, so a code rarely has an exact equivalent in another system, and suppliers bidding in several markets often need codes from more than one classification.

Learn how the other systems work in our guide to CPV codes and guide to NAICS codes, or use the CPV to UNSPSC converter to find UNSPSC categories related to a CPV code.