Topicality. Property is a difficult complex system category, which in its development underwent significant continuous quantitative and qualitative changes. The problem of different interpretations of the economic category �property� aggravated by the fact that scientists lack a unanimous approach to identifying types, kinds and forms of ownership, which indicates the diversity of approaches to the classification of property. Aim and tasks. of the article is to substantiate the theoretical approaches to the definition of the economic content of property in the process of its transformation and development and the study of the classification of types and forms of ownership in particular from the point of viev of traditional and modern classification. Research results. The article analyzes the approaches of outstanding scientists to the theoretical concept of the category "property" in different eras of the development of economic science. The study showed that at present it is advisable to distinguish between classical and modern classification of property. Therefore, the authors have formed a classical classification that includes two types of property: private, which exists in two forms: simple private property and capitalistic private property, and public property, which has two types � collective and state property. The modern classification based on modern views and trends in the evolution of property relations in society, based on the position that it is incorrect to single out only private and public types of ownership, because in this approach a separate individual and a work collective are identified, which may include tens, hundreds or more workers. Conclusions. Therefore, in the modern classification of property, types of ownership are collective (group), private, which are combined into a group of non-state types of ownership, as well as public (state) and supranational which form a group of state ownership types. In spite of the fact that there are no species in the modern classification of property and in the classification according to the legislation, practical experience indicates that there are still varieties of property. Therefore, it is advisable to classify property not only by types and forms, but divided into types according to various classification criteria, namely by objects of ownership, by subjects of ownership, depending on the type of property, by the number of owners, by features of objects, by levels of privatization.