COUNTRY CODE (BIRTH) is the country where the PERSON was born.

Notes:

• Default Code "XXX - COUNTRY CODE not known" is only valid for use in the Female Genital Mutilation Data Set
  
• Default Code "ZZZ - Not stated (PERSON asked but declined to provide a response)" is only valid for use in the GUMCAD Sexually Transmitted Infection Surveillance System Data Set and Female Genital Mutilation Data Set

Refer to the ISO 3166-1 standard for actual list of alphabetic codes and countries. The alphabetic code to be used is the 3-char alphabetic code available on the International Organisation for Standardisation website https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#search. The 2-char alphabetic code must not be used.

Note: Default Code descriptions have been updated in Data Dictionary Change Notice 1934 "Default Codes Description Updates". The Data Set specifications that contain this item will be updated in the next version of the Information Standard where it is not already correct.

This data element is also known by these names:

Context	Alias
plural	COUNTRY CODES (BIRTH)