INSEE code

The INSEE code is a numerical indexing code used by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) to identify various entities, including communes, départements. They are also used as national identification numbers given to people.

Created under Vichy

Although today this national identification number is used by social security in France and is present on each person's social security card (carte Vitale), it was originally created under Vichy France under the guise of the Registration Number to the National Directory of Identification of Physical People (Numéro d'inscription au répertoire des personnes physiques, NIRPP or simply NIR). The latter was originally to be used as a clandestine military recruitment tool, but at the end served to identify Jews, gypsies, and other "undesirable" populations under Vichy's conceptions. The first digit of the NIR was 1 for a male European, 2 for a female European, 3 for a male Muslim, 4 for a female Muslim, 5 for a male Jew, 6 for a female Jew, 7 for a male foreigner, 8 for a female foreigner, while 9 and 0 were reserved for persons of undetermined racial status.

The Demographic Service was created in 1940 in order to replace the military recruitment office prohibited by the June 1940 Armistice with Nazi Germany. On October 11, 1941, the Demographic Service absorbed the former General Statistics of France (SGF, created in 1833). The new organization was called the National Statistical Service (Service national des statistiques, SNS).

National identification numbers

Each French person receives at birth a national identification number, the "numéro d'inscription au répertoire" (NIR or National Repertory registration), also called a "numéro de sécurité sociale" (or Social Security number). This INSEE number is composed of 13 digits + a two-digit key. Although the total number is of 15 digits, its composition makes it easy for individuals to remember at least the first seven digits (they just have to know their sex, year and month of birth, and department of birth). Since this number is used in many administrative procedures (whether by the state or by private enterprises), most people know by memory part of this identification number.

Their format is as follows: syymmlloookkk cc, where

• s is 1 for a male, 2 for a female,
• yy are the last two digits of the year of birth,
• mm is the month of birth, usually 01 to 12 (but there are special values for persons whose exact date of birth is not known),
• ll is the number of the départment of origin : 2 digits, or 1 digit and 1 letter in metropolitan France, 3 digits for overseas.
• ooo is the commune of origin (a department is composed of various communes) : 3 digits in metropolitan France or 2 digits for overseas.
• kkk is an order number to distinguish people being born at the same place in the same year and month. This number is the one given by the Acte de naissance, an official paper which officialize a birth (and is needed throughout life for various administrative procedures, such as getting an identity card).
• 'cc' is the "control key", 01 to 97, equal to 97-(the rest of the number modulo 97) or to 97 if the number is a multiple of 97.
  There are exceptions for people in particular situations.

See also

• INSEE
• Biometrics
• National identification number
• National Insurance number (a similar number in the United Kingdom)
• Death Master File
• Social Insurance Number (a similar number in Canada)
• Uniform civil number (a similar number in Bulgaria)
• Personal ID Number (CURP) (Mexico) (a similar number in Mexico)
• Service number
• SNILS (a similar number in Russia)
• Tax file number (a similar number in Australia)
• Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas (similar number in Brazil)
• NIE Number (a similar number in Spain)
• PPS number (Irish system)
• Codice Fiscale (a similar number in Italy)

External links

• INSEE website