INSEE facts for kids

The INSEE (which stands for the Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques in French) is like the main data collection agency for France. It's a special group that gathers and studies lots of facts and figures about the country's people and its money. INSEE was started in 1946. Before that, there was a similar group called the National Statistics Service (SNS), which was created during World War II.

What are INSEE Codes?

INSEE codes are special numbers given to every town and village (called communes) in France. You might also hear them called COG codes. These codes help to identify each place uniquely.

How INSEE Codes Work

INSEE codes usually have 8 numbers. But there's also a shorter, simpler version with 5 numbers.

• The first two numbers tell you which department the town is in.
• If the town is in Overseas France, the first three numbers show the department.
• The rest of the numbers (2 or 3 digits) identify the specific commune within that department.

It's important to remember that an INSEE code is different from a postcode. Postcodes are used for mail, while INSEE codes are used for official statistics and identification.

Images for kids

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  Former INSEE headquarters in Malakoff, Hauts-de-Seine.

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  Logo of the INSEE

See also

In Spanish: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y de Estudios Económicos (Francia) para niños