Global Business Categories

Русская версия

Open-source hierarchical taxonomy of 1500+ business categories in 21 languages with country-specific localization. Ready-to-use dataset for marketplaces, directories, CRM systems, location apps, and AI/ML classification tasks.

Not just translation — each language version includes local business types, government agencies, and cultural adaptations. Inspired by real-world directories: Google Maps, 2GIS, Yelp, Yellow Pages, Zoon.

Why Use This Dataset

• Structured taxonomy — 3-level hierarchy (24 sections > 260 subsections > 1500+ items) ready for dropdowns, filters, and search
• Multilingual — 21 languages with native terminology, not machine translation
• Country-localized — each version adapted for local market (Japanese izakaya, German Handwerker, Brazilian lanchonete, etc.)
• Multiple formats — Markdown, JSON, YAML, CSV — pick what fits your stack
• Documented diffs — every localization change tracked in diff.json
• No dependencies — plain data files, use with any language or framework
• AI/ML ready — structured labeled data for business classification, NER training, and category prediction
• Free — CC BY 4.0, use commercially

Available Languages

Language	Code	Catalog	JSON	YAML	CSV	Localization
Russian	ru	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	Original
English	en	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Chinese (Simplified)	zh-cn	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Spanish	es	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Hindi	hi	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Arabic	ar	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Portuguese (Brazil)	pt-br	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
French	fr	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
German	de	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Japanese	ja	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Korean	ko	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Turkish	tr	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Italian	it	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Vietnamese	vi	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Thai	th	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Indonesian	id	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Polish	pl	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Dutch	nl	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Swedish	sv	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Czech	cs	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff
Ukrainian	uk	catalog.md	JSON	YAML	CSV	diff

What Makes This Different

This is not a machine translation of one catalog into 21 languages. Each version is localized:

• Japan: izakaya, ramen shops, pachinko, onsen, konbini, juku prep schools
• Korea: jjimjilbang, PC bang, hagwon, noraebang, chimaek restaurants
• Germany: Handwerker, Meisterbetrieb, Drogerie, Schornsteinfeger, TUV/Dekra
• Brazil: lanchonete, acai shops, churrascaria, lotericca, despachante
• China: hot pot, bubble tea, live-stream commerce, community group buying
• Thailand: Thai massage, som tam shops, noodle shops, temple services
• Italy: trattoria, osteria, enoteca, alimentari, tabaccheria
• Turkey: lokanta, cay bahcesi, simit sarayi, nargile cafe

Each diff.json file documents exactly what was added, removed, or renamed for each country.

Catalog Hierarchy

24 Sections (Level 1)
├── Food & Dining
├── Beauty & Personal Care
├── Healthcare & Medical
├── Education & Development
├── Auto & Transportation
├── Construction & Real Estate
├── Retail & Shopping
├── Consumer Services
├── IT & Internet
├── Finance & Insurance
├── Legal Services
├── Entertainment & Leisure
├── Sports & Fitness
├── Tourism & Hotels
├── Culture & Arts
├── Manufacturing & Industry
├── Agriculture & Food Production
├── Mining & Energy
├── Transportation & Logistics
├── Advertising & Marketing
├── Business & Professional Services
├── Telecommunications
├── Pet Services
└── Government & Public Organizations

260+ Subsections (Level 2)
├── Restaurants, Cafes, Fast Food, Delivery...
├── Clinics, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Labs...
└── ...

1500+ Items (Level 3)
├── Fine dining, Sushi bar, Pizzeria...
├── Dental clinic, MRI center, Veterinary...
└── ...

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/bbbbiiii-commits/global-business-categories.git
cd global-business-categories

Use JSON directly

const catalog = require('./catalog/en/catalog.json');
console.log(catalog.sections[0].name); // "Food and Dining"
console.log(catalog.metadata.items_count); // 1567

Python

import json
with open('catalog/en/catalog.json') as f:
    catalog = json.load(f)
categories = [item for s in catalog['sections'] for sub in s['subsections'] for item in sub['items']]
print(len(categories))  # 1567

Convert from Markdown

node scripts/convert.js --all          # Convert all languages
node scripts/convert.js catalog.md     # Convert single file

Apply localization diff

node scripts/apply-diff.js --all                    # Apply all diffs
node scripts/apply-diff.js catalog/en/diff.json     # Apply single diff

Formats

Format	Best for	Example
Markdown	Reading, contributing, GitHub preview	catalog.md
JSON	APIs, web apps, programmatic access	catalog.json
YAML	Configuration files, CI/CD	catalog.yaml
CSV	Excel, data analysis, database imports, pandas	catalog.csv

Use Cases

• Marketplaces & Directories — categorize businesses for discovery (like Yelp, Yellow Pages)
• CRM Systems — organize clients by industry and business type
• Registration Forms — dropdown menus for business category selection
• Location Apps — filter and display businesses on maps (like Google Maps, 2GIS)
• Search Engines — structured business categorization and faceted search
• Mobile Apps — ready-made business taxonomy for directory features
• AI/ML Training — labeled dataset for business classification, named entity recognition, category prediction
• Chatbots & Assistants — business context understanding for recommendations
• Analytics & BI — segment businesses for market research and reporting

Data Schema

JSON structure

{
  "metadata": {
    "language": "en",
    "sections_count": 24,
    "subsections_count": 262,
    "items_count": 1567,
    "generated_at": "2026-02-16"
  },
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "Food and Dining",
      "subsections": [
        {
          "id": "1.1",
          "name": "Restaurants and Cafes",
          "items": ["Fine dining restaurants", "Family restaurants", "..."]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

CSV columns

section_id, section_name, subsection_id, subsection_name, item

Contributing

We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

• Add a new language: Translate + localize the catalog
• Improve categories: Suggest additions or corrections
• Report issues: Found a problem? Open an issue

Related Projects & Standards

• ISIC — UN International Standard Industrial Classification
• NAICS — North American Industry Classification System
• Google Business Categories — Google Places types
• Schema.org LocalBusiness — structured data vocabulary

License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Free to use, modify, and distribute — even commercially. Just give credit.

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Keywords

business categories, business directory, business taxonomy, industry classification, multilingual categories, localized business types, business catalog dataset, open data, JSON business categories, CSV business directory, marketplace categories, CRM categories, business types list, NAICS alternative, Google Maps categories, business classification AI, NER training data, category prediction dataset