- published: 25 Jul 2014
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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.
Although today this national identification number is used by the Social Security and is present on each person's social security card (carte Vitale), it was originally created under Vichy France under the guise of the Inscription Number to the National Repertory of Identification of People (Numéro d'inscription au répertoire national d'identification des personnes, 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 collaborationist conceptions. The first figure of the NIR would be 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. 9 and 0 were reserved for persons of undetermined racial status.