Classification Detail
Standard Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use (M49)
Basic Bibliographic Information
Status:
Operational
Type:
To Be Determined
Citation:
United Nations Standard Country Code, Series M: Miscellaneous Statistical Papers, No. 49, New York: United Nations.
ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/49
ISBN:
N/A
Website:
Custodian:
United Nations Statistics Division
Available Formats:
PDF, XML, Excel, Text, HTML
Year Adopted:
1997
Year Published:
1998
Available Languages (besides English):
Français, Español, العربية, Pусский, 中文 Details...
Français
Codes standard des pays et des zones à usage statistique (M49)
Citation:
ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/49
Español
Códigos uniformes de país o de zona para uso estadístico (M49)
Citation:
ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/49
العربية
الرموز الموحدة للبلدان أو المناطق لأغراض الاستخدام الاحصائي (M49)
Citation:
ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/49
Pусский
Стандартные коды стран или районов для использования в статистикe (M49)
Citation:
ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/49
中文
用于统计目的的国家或地区标准编码 (M49)
Citation:
ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/49
Availability:
Fully available in all of the languages above
Purpose of the Classification
Statistical Domains:
3.2 Regional and small area statistics
Purpose:
The classification primarily provides a list of names of countries or areas, each with a unique three-digit numerical code to be used as a common reference for statistical processing purposes and as an international coding system to facilitate the standardization of country/area data processing, reporting and dissemination.
Main Applications:
The main purpose of the classification is statistical processing and data exchange. The classification is maintained in parallel with the ISO-3166 (3 and 2-alpha codes) classification, which is used as the basis for the assignment of internet addresses (URL domains), customs and passport processing and other purposes outside statistical compiling and computing applications.
Main Users:
All users who wish to link or match datasets sharing the same country and area code classification, as well as national and international statistical data compilers (public and private institutions) who wish to provide country/area level data with compara
Methodology
Scope:
List of countries and areas (including all UN member states), geographical regions and economic/ trade groups.
Concept Being Classified:
geographic areas
Statistical Units:
Countries and areas, including those countries or areas for which statistical data are compiled by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Secretariat.
Main Principles:
UN membership resolutions (new country admissions, change in sovereignty, unification, official change of name or area nomenclature, etc.)
Relationships to Other International Classifications:
Related To:
Major Differences (Scope, Structure, and Concepts):
M.49 - ISO 3166
M49 assigns 3-digit numerical codes which are used by the ISO 3166 standard. ISO 3166 is an international classification with broader application (currency, passports, internet domains, etc.) and does not contain additional codes for geographical regions and economic groupings.
The ISO 3166 also presents 3 and 2-alpha codes for each country/ area.
The ISO 3166 alpha codes of a country or area represents its identity whereas the M49 numerical code represents its “statistical area”. Therefore when a country dissolves and one of the resulting countries maintains the same name as the previous entity, the ISO code will not change but the M49 numerical code will since there is a change in the “statistical area” if not identity (i.e. Ethiopia, Panama, Sudan etc.). Similarly, the identity of a country can change but not its “statistical area” which means a change in ISO alpha code but not the M49 numerical code (i.e. DRC, Romania, Timor-Leste etc.).
Classification Structure
Definition of Structure:
Level:
Level Name:
Code Format:
Number of Items:
Level 1
Country/Region/Group
000-899*
379 items
Remarks:
*Range 000 – 899 is reserved while the range 900 – 999 is available for users to self-define.
Criteria for Definition of Levels:
n/a
Revision Information
Chronology of revisions/versions of the classification:
Year Adopted:
Title or Version Number:
Website:
Official Adopting Entity:
United Nations Statistics Division
Coordinating Entity:
United Nations Statistics Division
Documenting Website:
Reason for Latest Revision:
Last major revisions (1996 & 1999) required due to the break-up of the USSR and Pacific Trust territory. Since then, smaller revisions applied and communicated through the UNSD website at: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm
Major Changes:
New republics formed following the break-up of the USSR and Pacific Trust territory as well as their allocation to a new regional classification.
Corrections:
Continuous on the UNSD website (see http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm), whenever changes are required (i.e. a new country). In addition, a list of “current” codes with English/French labels are published as part of Annex I of the UNSD Statistical Yearbook (see http://unstats.un.org/unsd/syb/).
Supporting Documents
Coding Index Available:
No
Training Materials and Other Documents:
N/A
Contact Information
Agency / Office:
United Nations Statistics Division
Unit:
Statistical Services Branch
Email:
Website:
Telephone:
+1 212 963 2561 / 4965