Download Statistical standard for country

Statistical standard for country
Rationale
Country is a key variable for determining population and economic statistics that relate to birthplace, country of residence,
overseas trade, and balance of payments data.
Definition
A country is the current name – either short or official – of a country, dependency, or other area of particular geopolitical
interest.
The term ‘country’ includes:
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independent countries recognised by the New Zealand Government
units that are recognised geographic areas
administrative subdivisions of the United Kingdom
overseas dependencies, external territories of independent countries.
Operational issues
A country, even if it has other discrete political entities such as states, is treated as a single unit for all classification purposes.
Some economic statistics (such as overseas trade and balance of payments) need data to be coded to entities that do not
equate directly to a single country or to countries at all.
These entities, and examples of the data that are coded to them, are:
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ships’ bunkering – fuel/oil to be used on voyage by ships and aircraft leaving New Zealand
ships’ stores – goods (consumables and parts) for use on ships and aircraft leaving New Zealand
passengers’ effects – goods sold ex-licensed export warehouse (duty free store)
destination unknown – European Union (EU) – often applied to goods shipped to one country in the EU, but will be
distributed to other EU countries.
In each case, there is no true country of classification (for example, where ships’ stores and bunkering are used en route, and
passengers’ effects become the property of the individual).
The identification of country units in the classification, and the way in which they are grouped, does not imply the expression of
any opinion by Statistics New Zealand about the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or about the delimitation of its
frontiers or boundaries.
Explanatory notes
The list of country titles used in this standard is based on the Standard country or area codes for statistical use established by
the United Nations (UN, nd).
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns alpha codes to these country titles. These codes are
published in the International Standard ISO 3166 Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries and their Subdivisions
(ISO 3166-1:1997) (ISO, nd). The New Zealand Standard Classification of Countries’ (NZSCC) two-character alpha codes are
based on the country titles and the alpha codes in ISO 3166.
Statistics NZ includes countries in the standard once they are identified by the UN and the ISO. Their inclusion is subject to
official recognition by the New Zealand Government and/or policy directives from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade. Numeric codes are then assigned in the NZSCC’s code sequence after consulting with the Australian Bureau of
Statistics.
The two-character alpha codes are used for overseas trade and balance of payments purposes and provide the link to the New
Zealand Customs Tariff list of countries.
Classification changes
The changes since the previous classification are:
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The Australian states are no longer separately identified. Australia and its external territories are now in a single
minor group. Previously there were two minor groups.
Europe has been split into two major groups, North-West Europe and Southern and Eastern Europe.
The NZSCC 1995 minor group United Kingdom and Ireland has been split into two minor groups to allow for separate
identification of the United Kingdom (at the minor group level). Ireland is now a single country minor group.
The new European countries created from the former Soviet republics Moldova, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Russia, and Ukraine have been included in the major group Southern and Eastern Europe. Russia has been included
in Europe, even though much of it is geographically in Asia, because it meets the classification criteria based on
similarity in social, cultural, economic and political characteristics. It functions as a European country.
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European Russia has the majority of the population and has the seat of political and economic power.
The major group The Middle East and North Africa has been renamed North Africa and the Middle East after a
discussion with the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the order of this major group.
The countries of Southeast Asia have been split into two minor groups: Mainland South-East Asia and Maritime
South-East Asia as this is a region of growing economic interest.
The two major groups Northern America and South America, Central America and the Caribbean have been
combined to form a single major group, The Americas.
Some minor changes to country names have been made to meet current naming conventions.
Classification updating
The following procedures are followed if a country needs to be added to, deleted from, or moved within the classification:
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If a country needs to be added to the classification, it will be given the next available four-digit code in the numerical
sequence of codes of the minor group to which it is being added.
If a country ceases to exist as a separate entity, and it is deleted from the classification, its code will not be re–
allocated to another country as this complicates the storage of time-series data. If it is necessary to move a country
from one minor group to another, it will be given the next available code of the minor group to which it is moved. Its
previous code will not be re-allocated.
Classification criteria
The principal criterion used to classify a country is the country name or title given by the survey respondent. To group
countries, the principal criterion is geographic proximity. Countries are grouped into progressively broader geographic areas
based on their similarity in social, cultural, economic, and political characteristics.
Classification
There are two types of country classifications: the four-numeric classification and the two-alpha classification.
Statistics NZ maintains the four-numeric classification according to the numeric codes and names assigned by the UN
Statistical Division and the ISO.
The four-numeric classification of a country is a hierarchical classification with three levels. There are nine major groups in level
1, 27 minor groups in level 2, and 244 countries in level 3. There are no residual categories as supplementary codes are used
instead.
The two-alpha classification of country is a flat classification containing 246 countries.
Details of the current versions of the classifications are:
Country four-numeric classification code
Classification
Abbreviation
Version
Effective date
Country – New Zealand Standard Classification 1999 – four-numeric
NZSCC4N99
V12.0
01/01/2014
Country two-alpha classification code
Classification
Abbreviation
Version
Effective date
Country – New Zealand Standard Classification 1999 – two-alpha
NZSCC2A99
V13.0
01/01/2014
Supplementary codes
Supplementary codes are used to process inadequate responses. There are two types of supplementary codes:
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Codes beginning with zero are used to code responses which cannot be allocated to a country, minor group, or major
group code (operational codes).
Codes ending with zero are used to code responses which cannot be coded to the detailed level of the classification
but can be coded to a higher level of the classification (not further defined codes).
Coding process
In developing the coding index, Statistics NZ followed a number of rules to assign index entries the correct classification code.
These rules should be followed when coding any response which does not appear in the coding index. The coding rules are:
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Responses relating directly to a country separately identified in the classification are coded to that country.
Responses relating for example, to places, towns, regions, and states, which lie wholly within the boundaries of a
country separately identified in the classification, and which are part of that country, are coded to that country.
Responses relating for example, to places and regions which cannot be identified as lying wholly within the
boundaries of a country separately identified in the classification are assigned a 'not further defined' code, or the
code of a residual category, as described above.
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Responses relating to countries which have changed names, without changing boundaries, are coded to the latest
name in the classification.
In instances where a country no longer exists, if the geographic area the country previously occupied is wholly
contained within the boundaries of an existing contemporary country, then responses are coded to the contemporary
country.
If the area of a country no longer in existence is not wholly contained within the boundaries of one of the separately
identified countries of the classification, responses relating to the country no longer in existence are assigned an
appropriate 'not further defined' code. For example, a response relating to a country no longer in existence, the
previous area of which is not wholly contained within a contemporary country, but is wholly contained within a minor
group, is given the code of the minor group followed by '00'.
The first response is used where there are multiple responses to a question.
A codefile is used to code responses to the classification. A codefile is a comprehensive list of probable survey responses and
the categories to which they are coded. In addition to country titles, the codefile for country has regions and provinces where
appropriate.
A two-character alpha code is provided for the processing of overseas trade, international migration, and balance of payments
information.
Questionnaire module
Requirements
The questionnaire module should obtain the current name/title of the country. This can be through a direct question or through
the use of a tick-box selection of the most commonly identified countries, with or without an 'other’ option.
Example
The questionnaire module below meets the requirements of this statistical standard. Other questionnaire modules may vary in
format but should meet the requirements of this standard.
Questionnaire module for country born in
Standard output
Country
The output categories are the same as the detailed classification structure in the first instance. Country groupings must follow
the minor and major groups and the economic groupings in this standard.
Economic groupings
The country classification also provides 12 economic groupings. These are:
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Countries (APEC)
Australia
Brunei Darussalam
Chile
China, People’s Republic of
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Mexico
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Russia
Singapore
Thailand
United States of America
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Canada
Hong Kong (SAR)
Korea, Republic of
New Zealand
Philippines
Taiwan
Viet Nam
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
Laos
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Viet Nam
Indonesia
Myanmar
Thailand
European Union (EU)
Austria
Cyprus
Estonia
Germany
Ireland
Lithuania
Netherlands
Romania
Spain
Belgium
Czech Republic
Finland
Greece
Italy
Luxembourg
Poland
Slovakia
Sweden
Bulgaria
Denmark
France
Hungary
Latvia
Malta
Portugal
Slovenia
United Kingdom
European Economic Area
Austria
Cyprus
Estonia
Germany
Iceland
Latvia
Luxembourg
Norway
Romania
Spain
Belgium
Czech Republic
Finland
Greece
Ireland
Liechtenstein
Malta
Poland
Slovakia
Sweden
Bulgaria
Denmark
France
Hungary
Italy
Lithuania
Netherlands
Portugal
Slovenia
United Kingdom
European Monetary Union (EMU)
Austria
Estonia
Germany
Italy
Malta
Slovakia
Belgium
Finland
Greece
Latvia
Netherlands
Slovenia
Cyprus
France
Ireland
Luxembourg
Portugal
Spain
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Bahrain
Qatar
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
Oman
United Arab Emirates
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Canada
Mexico
United States of America
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Australia
Austria
Canada
Chile
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Hungary
Iceland
Israel
Italy
Korea, Republic of
Latvia
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States of America
Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Algeria
Angola
Iran
Iraq
Libya
Nigeria
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Pacific Island Forum (PIF)
Australia
Kiribati
Nauru
Palau
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
Cook Islands
Marshall Islands
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Tonga
Belgium
Czech Republic
Finland
Greece
Ireland
Japan
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Portugal
Spain
Turkey
Ecuador
Kuwait
Qatar
Venezuela
Fiji
Micronesia, Federated States of
Niue
Samoa
Tuvalu
South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement (SPARTECA)
Australia
Cook Islands
Fiji
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Kiribati
Nauru
Palau
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
Marshall Islands
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Tonga
Micronesia, Federated States of
Niue
Samoa
Tuvalu
Full member countries
Antigua and Barbuda
Bangladesh
Botswana
Canada
Fiji
Grenada
Jamaica
Lesotho
Maldives
Mozambique
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Seychelles
Solomon Islands
St Kitts and Nevis
Swaziland
Trinidad and Tobago
United Kingdom
Australia
Barbados
Brunei Darussalam
Cyprus
Gambia
Guyana
Kenya
Malawi
Malta
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
South Africa
St Lucia
Tanzania
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Bahamas
Belize
Cameroon
Dominica
Ghana
India
Kiribati
Malaysia
Mauritius
Nauru
Pakistan
Samoa
Singapore
Sri Lanka
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Tonga
Uganda
Zambia
Associate members
Anguilla
Cook Islands
Montserrat
Pitcairn Island
Turks and Caicos Islands
Bermuda
Falkland Islands
Niue
St Helena
Virgin Islands, British
Cayman Islands
Gibraltar
Norfolk Island
Tokelau
Commonwealth
Related classifications and standards
New Zealand
The classification is also used as part of the ‘usual residence’ and ‘usual residence n years ago’ classifications. The
classification is used by other parts of the Official Statistical System in New Zealand.
International
The classification is linked with the Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions (ISO, nd) and
aligned with the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008a and 2008b).
Amendments to the standard classification are a result of the renaming or restructuring of countries.
The differences between the NZSCC and the SACC are:
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Statistics NZ considers the Ross Dependency to be part of New Zealand for statistical purposes. Category
1201: ‘New Zealand’ in the NZSCC therefore includes the Ross Dependency. In the SACC, the
Ross Dependency has the code 1607 (in minor group 16: Antarctica). This difference is considered to have little
statistical significance.
The NZSCC has only one-third level unit in the minor group Antarctica, 1601: Antarctica. The SACC separately
identifies the seven individual Antarctic territories, including the Ross Dependency. As a result, the code 1601
represents Antarctica as a whole in the NZSCC and Adelie Land (France) in the SACC. The codes 1602–1607 are
not used in the NZSCC. This difference is considered to have little statistical significance.
The SACC splits the major group North-East Asia into two minor groups: Chinese Asia (includes Mongolia), and
Japan and the Koreas. This was done to derive a ‘total China’ and to encompass ‘Chinese’ countries which are
important in the Australian context. In the NZSCC, the major group North-East Asia contains a single minor group as
preferred by New Zealand users of the classification. This difference results in a number of different country codes
between the two classifications.
There are small differences in numbering between NZSCC and SACC in the minor group Caribbean, 8400 due to the
different recognition of territories within the former Netherlands Antilles. Curacao and St Maarten (Dutch part) have
codes 8433 and 8434, respectively, in the NZSCC. In the SACC, the equivalent codes are 8434 and 8435, while
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba is coded 8433.
The SACC has separate codes for Guernsey and Jersey. In the NZSCC, these are included together as Channel
Islands.
The two classifications contain some differences in country names. These differences are due to the historical
treatment of country titles and user requirements. In some cases the differences reflect the official titles recognised
by the government of each country. The differences are noted in the table below.
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Naming differences between the New Zealand and Australian country classifications
New Zealand Standard Classification of Countries
Standard Australian Classification of Countries
Vatican City State
Holy See
Russia
Russian Federation
Gaza Strip/Palestine/West Bank
Gaza Strip and West Bank
Myanmar
Myanmar, The Republic of the Union of
China, People’s Republic of
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)
Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region)
Hong Kong (SAR of China)
Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of (North)
Korea, Republic of
Korea, Republic of (South)
Viet Nam
Vietnam
Pitcairn Island
Pitcairn Islands
Faeroe Islands
Faroe Islands
Macau (Special Administrative Region)
Macau (SAR of China)
St Maarten (Dutch part)
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
Bolivia
Bolivia, Plurinational State of
Venezuela
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
Congo
Congo, Republic of
Congo, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Democratic Republic of
No equivalent category
Aland Islands
No equivalent category
St Barthelemy
No equivalent category
St Martin (French Part)
No equivalent category
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Source: Statistics New Zealand (1999) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011)
Glossary
Official name
The formal title by which a country is known and recognised by the New Zealand Government.
Short name
The name recognised by the New Zealand Government which is commonly used for a country in statistical and other
publications.
Special Administrative Region
Special administrative regions are a part of the People’s Republic of China. There are currently only two: Hong Kong and
Macau. They have a high degree of autonomy, separate political systems, and generally have responsibility for all issues
except diplomatic relations and defence. For output purposes, Special Administrative Region may be abbreviated to SAR.
Residual categories
Not further defined (nfd)
A ‘not further defined’ (nfd) category is a type of residual category that appears within a hierarchical classification for responses
that cannot be coded to the most detailed level of the classification but can be coded to a higher level of the classification.
These categories never appear within classifications as stand-alone descriptors, but are combined with descriptors, often taken
from a higher level in the classification.
Don’t know
Use of this category is discretionary. The use of a category capturing don't know responses is most applicable to household
surveys where ‘don't know’ may be a legitimate response to certain questions.
Refused to answer
This category is only used when it is known that the respondent has purposefully chosen not to respond to the question. Use of
this residual category in processing is optional. Its use is most applicable in face-to-face or telephone interviews, but may be
used in self-completed questionnaires if the respondent has clearly indicated they refuse or object to answering the question.
Response unidentifiable
This category is used when there is a response given, but:
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the response is illegible
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it is unclear what the meaning or intent of the response is – this commonly occurs when the response
being classified contains insufficient detail, is ambiguous or vague
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the response is contradictory, for example, both the yes and no tick boxes have been ticked
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the response is clear and seemingly within the scope of the classification, but can not be coded because
no suitable option (particularly other residual category options such as 'not elsewhere classified' or 'not
further defined') exists in the classification or codefile.
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Response outside scope
This category is used for responses that are positively identified (that is, the meaning and the intent are clear) but which clearly
fall outside the scope of the classification/topic as defined in the standard.
Not stated
This category is only used where a respondent has not given any response to the question asked, that is, it is solely for nonresponse.
References and further reading
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008a, updated 16 May). 1269.0 – Standard Australian classification of countries (SACC),
1998. Available from www.abs.gov.au.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008b, updated 3 July). 1269.0 – Australian standard classification of countries for social
statistics (ASCCSS), 1990. Available from www.abs.gov.au.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011, updated 22 August). 1269.0 – Standard Australian classification of countries (SACC),
2011. Available from www.abs.gov.au.
ISO (nd). Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions ISO 3166-1:1997. Available from
www.iso.org.
UN (nd). Standard country or area codes for statistical use. Available from http://unstats.un.org.
Statistics New Zealand (1999). New Zealand Standard Classification of Countries 1999. Wellington.
Further reading
ISO (nd). Background on ISO 3166. Available from www.iso.org.
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