Meaning of National Identification Number
A National Identification Number is a means governments around the world use to track their citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents for the purposes of security, health care, taxation, government benefits, and other tracking-related functions to simplify government works and functions.
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Understanding National Identification Number by country
Countries around the world call their National Identification Number (NIN) by different names, in some, such as Australia use means of proof to identify its citizens.
National Insurance Number, Social Security Number, Unique Master Citizen Number, and Personal Identification Number of Citizen or JMBG/EMBG are some of the names some jurisdictions use to identify their citizens.
The implementation of means of ID varies from country to country, in most cases, countries issue means of ID to their citizens upon reaching legal age or at birth.
This means of identification isn’t designed only for citizens of country, there is inter-connectivity between countries. Canadian citizens travel to the United Kingdom, and United States citizens travel to Australia, as such, non-citizens may be issued some unique numbers or permanent residence permit when they enter a country other than their own.
Nigeria
After several attempts to have a database for its citizens, the most populous African country launched its National Identification Number in May 2007, by establishing a separate agency National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to manage the identification of Nigerians.
Data that is made available to InfomediaNG show that the total enrolment figure for NIN in Nigeria as of August 2023, stood at 102,390,967.
United States
In the U.S., the Social Security Number (SSN) is the de facto national identification number as a means of organizing and disbursing of Social Security benefits to its citizens.
The SSN which is a nine-digit number is so important that it impossible to access government benefits without it. It is also used for other things such as opening a bank account, obtaining a credit card, tracking individuals for taxation purposes, and applying for a driving licence.
It is issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents to identification and security-tracking purposes.
What do countries call their national identification?
Here is the full list of name of NIN by country:
- Argentina: Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI)
- Brazil: Cadastro Nacional de Pessoas Jurídicas for National Registry of Legal Entities
- (CNPJ)
- Albania: Numri i Identitetit (NID)
- Austria: Austrian identity card
- Australia: Proof of Age or Photo ID (no official national ID)
- Belgium: Belgian national number
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosnia and Herzegovina national identity card
- Bulgaria: Bulgarian Unified Civil Number
- Croatia: Osobni identifikacijski broj (OIB)
- Czech: Personal Identity Number
- Denmark: Det Centrale Personregister (CPR)
- European Economic Area: European Health Insurance Card
- Estonia: Estonian identity card
- Canada: social insurance number (SIN)
- Chile: Unique National Role (RUN) or (Rol Único Nacional)
- Colombia: Número Único de Identificación Personal
- South Africa: ID Number
- Mexico: Clave Única de Registro de Población (CURP)
- Bahrain: Central Population Registration (CPR) Number
- Bangladesh: National Identity Card (NID)
- China: China National ID Number
- Georgia: Georgia personal number
- Germany: National ID Number
- Greece: Greek national identity card
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong Identity Card (HKID)
- India: Aadhar Card
- Indonesia: Nomor Induk Kependudukan
- Iran: Iranian identity card
- Iraq: Iraqi National Card
- Isreal: Teudat Zehut
- Japan: My Number
- Kazakhstan: Individual Identification Number (IID)
- Kuwait: Civil Number
- Macau: Permanent Resident Identity Card (BIRP) and Non-Permanent Resident Identity Card (BIRNP)
- Malaysia: National Registration Identification Card Number (NRIC No.)
- Nepal: National Identity Card of Nepal
- Pakistan: Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC)
- Philippines: Philippine Identification System or The PhilSys Number (PSN)
- Singapore: National Registration Identity Card (NRIC)
- South Korea: South Korean Resident Registration Number (RRN)
- Sri Lanka: National Identity Card
- Taiwan: Taiwan national identification number
- Thailand: Thailand Personal Identification Number
- Switzerland: European Health Insurance Card
- FinLand: Finnish personal identification numbers
- France: INSEE code (for social insurance number); National Identification Number (for taxation purposes)
- Hungary: Hungary Personal Identification Number
- Iceland: kennitala (Icelandic identification number)
- Ireland: Personal Public Service Number (PPS No)
- Italy: Fiscal Code
- Latvia: Personas apliecība
- Luxembourg: Luxembourg national identification number
- Moldova: Numarul de Identificare
- Montenegro: Jedinstveni matični broj građana (JMBG)
- Netherlands: Burgerservicenummer (BSN) meaning Citizen Service Number
- Norway: Norwegian National Identity Number
- Poland: Polish National Identification Number
- Romania: Romania National Identification Number
- Serbia: Unique Master Citizen Number
- Slovakia: Slovak citizen ID card
- Slovenia: Unique Master Citizen Number
- Spain: Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI)
- Sweden: Personnummer (personal identity number)
- Switzerland: Social Security Number
- Turkey: Turkish national identification number
- New Zealand: New Zealand driver’s license or passport
- Papua New Guinea: PNG National Identification (NID)
- Ukraine: Passport of the Citizen of Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates: Emirates ID
- United Kingdom: National Insurance Number (NINO)
- USA: Social Security number (SSN)
- Vietnam: Vietnam ID
- Venezuela: Cédula de Identidad
- Zimbabwe: National ID
