INSEE is responsible for the production and analysis of official statistics in France. Its best known responsibilities include:
Organising and publishing the national census.
Producing various indices – which are widely recognised as being of excellent quality – including an inflation index used for determining the rates of rents and the costs associated with construction.
Eurostat uses INSEE statistics in combination with those of other national statistical agencies to compile comparable statistics for the European Union as a whole. It is also widely recognized as representing France on international questions of statistics.
Organisation
The INSEE is the responsibility of MINEFI, the French Ministry of Finance. The current director is Jean-Luc Tavernier. However, Eurostat considers INSEE as an independent body, although its independence is not written in the law.
Teaching and research
Research and teaching for the INSEE is undertaken by GENES or Group of the National Schools of the Economy and Statistics which includes:
ENSAE, a grande école which trains INSEE administrators and engineers specialized in statistics, the economy, and finance.
ENSAI,, an engineering school.
Codes and numbering system
INSEE gives numerical indexing codes to various entities in France:
INSEE codes are given to various administrative units, notably the French communes. The 'complete' code has 8 digits and 3 spaces within, but there is a popular 'simplified' code with 5 digits and no space within:
There are exceptions for people in particular situations.
SIREN codes are given to businesses and nonprofit associations, SIRET codes to their establishments and facilities.
History
Statistics in France before INSEE
INSEE was preceded by several related statistical agencies in France. In 1833, the Statistics Bureau was created by Adolphe Thiers. In 1840 it was renamed SGF or General Statistics of France. Under the direction of Lucien March, the SGF expanded its activities. It began an investigation of consumption habits in 1907, following with periodic investigations on retail prices in 1911. In 1920 Alfred Sauvy introduced competitive entrance exams for SGF recruitment. However, it was René Carmille, a pioneer of the use of the calculators, who laid the foundations of the modern organization. In 1940, the Demographic Service was created under the Ministry of Finance in order to replace the military recruitment office prohibited by the June 1940 Armistice with Nazi Germany. In order to better conceal its undertakings, the Demographic Service absorbed the SGF on 11 October 1941. The new organization was called the SNS or National Statistics Service. As part of this reorganization, six new offices were created in the Northern zone whose regional structure is maintained today in INSEE. René Carmille created an Applied Sciences School to specially train members for the SNS. Carmille worked for Vichy France but he was actually a double agent for the French underground. From his position in the SNS he sabotaged the Nazi census of France, which saved untold numbers of Jewish people from death camps. He also used his department to help mobilize French resistance in Algeria. He was caught by the Nazis and sent to Dachau where he died in 1945.
Creation of INSEE
The SNS was finally transformed into INSEE by the law of 27 April 1946, The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Surveys for the metropolis and overseas France.
