1269.0 - Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), 1998 (Revision 2.03)

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Contents >> Chapter 1. Introduction >> Supplementary codes

Supplementary codes are used to represent country-like entities and groups of countries (alternative standard country groupings and authorised standard output options) which are not part of the main SACC structure, and to process inadequate data in statistical collections. The codes are of five types:

codes commencing with '000' (supplementary codes for inadequate data);
codes commencing with '06' (supplementary codes for economic and other country groups);
codes commencing with '07' (supplementary codes for economic and other entities);
codes commencing with '09' (supplementary codes for former countries and other geographic entities); and
codes ending with '00' or '000' (supplementary codes for the main classification structure).

Supplementary codes for inadequate data

Four-digit codes commencing with '000' are supplementary codes included for operational purposes to facilitate the coding of survey responses and other data which present particular problems in that they cannot be allocated a country, minor group or major group code. For instance, '0000' is used to code inadequately described survey responses, '0003' to code not stated responses, etc.

It should be noted that these supplementary codes are not part of the main classification structure. They exist for operational reasons only, and no data would be coded to them if sufficiently detailed information were obtained in all instances (see Appendix 1 for a full list of supplementary codes for inadequate data) .

Supplementary codes for economic and other country groups

The SACC is intended to provide a single framework for classifying all statistical and administrative data by country for both population and economic statistics. Because the geographically based country groupings of the main structure are not always ideal for the presentation of economic data, alternative groupings have been included in the classification document to meet specific output needs. These country groupings are of two types:

A set of standard country groupings based on economic and political requirements and comprising associations or organisations of formally recognised member countries, such as the APEC, OECD, etc. (see Alternative standard country groupings).
A set of authorised standard output options, such as the former USSR, provided for time series purposes or other data output needs (see Authorised standard output options).

These groupings have been allocated unique four-digit codes (beginning with '06') for processing purposes. For example, ASEAN is allocated code 0602, OECD is allocated code 0605, the former USSR is allocated 0613, etc. (see Appendix 1 for a full list of these supplementary codes).

Supplementary codes for economic and other entities

In some instances, the collection and aggregation of data for economic statistics (such as international trade and international investment position statistics) require data to be coded to entities that do not equate directly to a single country, or to countries at all. Such entities have been assigned unique four-digit codes beginning with '07'. For example, 'Belgium and Luxembourg' is allocated code 0704, Reserve Bank Gold is allocated code 0741, etc. It should be noted that although these supplementary codes are not part of the main classification structure, they should be considered when aggregating and presenting data for both the main structure and the alternative groupings (see Appendix 1 for a full list of these supplementary codes).

Supplementary codes for former countries and other geographic entities

Four-digit codes commencing with '09' are supplementary codes designed to code responses relating to entities which are now defunct as a result of recent political change but which are still regarded as useful for statistical purposes, and entities which are no longer separately identified in the revised main classification structure. These codes have two purposes:

to facilitate precise coding and thus preserve data that would be lost or coded to a broader category of the classification; and
to assist in the reconstruction of entities no longer separately identified in the classification, such as the former USSR, for time series purposes.

For example, the codes 0901–0909 have been assigned to the Australian States and territories to facilitate coding in statistical or administrative collections that require data coded to the State level rather than directly to Australia. Conversely, the code 0912 is used to code responses relating to the former USSR that cannot be coded to one of the newly independent countries which were its former constituents. In some instances, the '09' codes are used to code responses that would otherwise be dumped as inadequately described. For example, the response 'Europe' is coded to 0911: 'Europe, not further defined' rather than to code 0000: 'Inadequately Described'. In some instances the '09' codes provide a more precise alternative than the supplementary codes relating to the main structure. For example, responses relating to the former Yugoslavia (which cannot be coded to its constituent countries) are coded to 0913: 'Former Yugoslavia, not further defined' rather than to code 3200: 'South Eastern Europe, not further defined'. It should be noted that these supplementary codes are not part of the main classification structure (see Appendix 1 for a full list of these supplementary codes).

The 'Supplementary Codes for Former Countries and Other Geographic Entities' table (page 49) has been broadened to indicate the flexibility to output to a higher level of the classification structure, if desired. It displays an 'input' option (09..) and a classification 'output' valid code option (see also comments on pages 23-4).

Supplementary codes for the main classification structure

Four-digit codes ending with two or three zeros are described as 'not further defined' (nfd) codes. These codes are used to code responses to a survey or administrative question requiring a country response (such as country of birth) which cannot be coded to the most detailed (country) level of the main classification but which can be coded to a higher level of the classification structure.

For example, responses relating to geographic areas which cannot be identified as lying within the boundaries of a country separately identified in the classification, but which lie wholly within the boundaries of one of the classification's minor groups, are coded to that minor group. Such responses are allocated a 'not further defined' code consisting of the two-digit code of the minor group followed by '00'. For instance, the response 'Great Britain' does not contain sufficient information to be coded to a country category, but it can be coded to Minor Group 21: United Kingdom which includes all countries considered to be part of Great Britain. It is, thus, allocated the code 2100: United Kingdom, nfd.

Similarly, responses relating to geographic areas which cannot be identified as lying within the boundaries of a country separately identified in the classification, or one of the classification's minor groups, but which lie wholly within the boundaries of a major group, are coded to that major group. Such responses are allocated a 'not further defined' code consisting of the one-digit code of the major group followed by '000'. For instance, the response 'South Pacific Islands' does not contain sufficient information to be coded to any particular country category or to any particular minor group, but it can be coded to Major Group 1: Oceania and Antarctica, which includes all countries of the South Pacific. It is thus allocated the code 1000: Oceania and Antarctica, nfd.

Thus, input data which can only be coded at the major or minor group levels of the classification can be processed within a collection coded at the four-digit country level of the classification. This allows the coding process to be as precise as the input data quality allows, preserving data that would otherwise be lost as uncodable or dumped to an inadequately described category. It should be noted that these supplementary codes are not part of the main classification structure (see Appendix 1 for a full list of these supplementary codes).