ISO 3166-2:GB is the entry for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions (e.g., provinces or states) of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.[1] The codes and structures used are provided to the ISO by British Standards and the Office for National Statistics.
Currently for the United Kingdom, ISO 3166-2 codes are defined for the following subdivisions:
- 3 countries and 1 province
- 25 two-tier counties, 36 metropolitan districts, 58 unitary authorities, 32 London boroughs and 1 city corporation (England)
- 11 districts (Northern Ireland)
- 32 council areas (Scotland)
- 22 unitary authorities (Wales)
Each code consists of two parts, separated by a hyphen. The first part is GB, the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code of the United Kingdom. The second part is three letters, which is the British Standard BS 6879 three-letter code of the subdivision.
Though GB is the United Kingdom's ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code, UK is exceptionally reserved for the United Kingdom on the request of the country. Its main usage is the .uk internet ccTLD and, on 28 September 2021, UK replaced GB as the official country code on car registration plates.[2]
Current codes
editSubdivision names are listed as in the ISO 3166-2 standard published by the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency (ISO 3166/MA).
BS 6879 gives alternative name forms in Welsh (cy) for some of the Welsh unitary authorities (together with alternative code elements). Since this part of ISO 3166 does not allow for duplicate coding of identical subdivisions, such alternative names in Welsh and code elements are shown for information purposes only in square brackets after the English name of the subdivision.[1]
Countries and province
edit| Code | Subdivision name (en) | Subdivision category |
|---|---|---|
| GB-ENG |  England
|
country |
| GB-NIR | Northern Ireland | province |
| GB-SCT |  Scotland
|
country |
| GB-WLS |  Wales [Cymru GB-CYM]
|
country |
Wales was changed from being described as a principality to being described as a country in the December 2011 update to the standard. England and Scotland were maintained as country and Northern Ireland was maintained as province.[3]
Included for completeness
edit| Code | Name |
|---|---|
| GB-EAW | England and Wales |
| GB-GBN | Great Britain |
| GB-UKM | United Kingdom |
The codes GB-EAW, GB-GBN, and GB-UKM are only mentioned in remark part 2 in the ISO website where they are "included for completeness".[1]
Second-level subdivisions
edit| Code | Subdivision name (en) | Subdivision category | Parent subdivision |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB-CAM | Cambridgeshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-CMA | Cumbria | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-DBY | Derbyshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-DEV | Devon | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-DOR | Dorset | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-ESX | East Sussex | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-ESS | Essex | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-GLS | Gloucestershire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-HAM | Hampshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-HRT | Hertfordshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-KEN | Kent | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-LAN | Lancashire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-LEC | Leicestershire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-LIN | Lincolnshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-NFK | Norfolk | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-NYK | North Yorkshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-NTT | Nottinghamshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-OXF | Oxfordshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-SOM | Somerset | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-STS | Staffordshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-SFK | Suffolk | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-SRY | Surrey | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-WAR | Warwickshire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-WSX | West Sussex | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-WOR | Worcestershire | two-tier county | ENG |
| GB-LND | London, City of | city corporation | ENG |
| GB-BDG | Barking and Dagenham | London borough | ENG |
| GB-BNE | Barnet | London borough | ENG |
| GB-BEX | Bexley | London borough | ENG |
| GB-BEN | Brent | London borough | ENG |
| GB-BRY | Bromley | London borough | ENG |
| GB-CMD | Camden | London borough | ENG |
| GB-CRY | Croydon | London borough | ENG |
| GB-EAL | Ealing | London borough | ENG |
| GB-ENF | Enfield | London borough | ENG |
| GB-GRE | Greenwich | London borough | ENG |
| GB-HCK | Hackney | London borough | ENG |
| GB-HMF | Hammersmith and Fulham | London borough | ENG |
| GB-HRY | Haringey | London borough | ENG |
| GB-HRW | Harrow | London borough | ENG |
| GB-HAV | Havering | London borough | ENG |
| GB-HIL | Hillingdon | London borough | ENG |
| GB-HNS | Hounslow | London borough | ENG |
| GB-ISL | Islington | London borough | ENG |
| GB-KEC | Kensington and Chelsea | London borough | ENG |
| GB-KTT | Kingston upon Thames | London borough | ENG |
| GB-LBH | Lambeth | London borough | ENG |
| GB-LEW | Lewisham | London borough | ENG |
| GB-MRT | Merton | London borough | ENG |
| GB-NWM | Newham | London borough | ENG |
| GB-RDB | Redbridge | London borough | ENG |
| GB-RIC | Richmond upon Thames | London borough | ENG |
| GB-SWK | Southwark | London borough | ENG |
| GB-STN | Sutton | London borough | ENG |
| GB-TWH | Tower Hamlets | London borough | ENG |
| GB-WFT | Waltham Forest | London borough | ENG |
| GB-WND | Wandsworth | London borough | ENG |
| GB-WSM | Westminster | London borough | ENG |
| GB-BNS | Barnsley | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-BIR | Birmingham | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-BOL | Bolton | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-BRD | Bradford | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-BUR | Bury | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-CLD | Calderdale | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-COV | Coventry | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-DNC | Doncaster | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-DUD | Dudley | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-GAT | Gateshead | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-KIR | Kirklees | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-KWL | Knowsley | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-LDS | Leeds | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-LIV | Liverpool | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-MAN | Manchester | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-NET | Newcastle upon Tyne | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-NTY | North Tyneside | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-OLD | Oldham | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-RCH | Rochdale | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-ROT | Rotherham | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-SHN | St. Helens | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-SLF | Salford | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-SAW | Sandwell | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-SFT | Sefton | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-SHF | Sheffield | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-SOL | Solihull | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-STY | South Tyneside | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-SKP | Stockport | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-SND | Sunderland | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-TAM | Tameside | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-TRF | Trafford | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-WKF | Wakefield | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-WLL | Walsall | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-WGN | Wigan | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-WRL | Wirral | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-WLV | Wolverhampton | metropolitan district | ENG |
| GB-BAS | Bath and North East Somerset | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-BDF | Bedford | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-BBD | Blackburn with Darwen | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-BPL | Blackpool | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-BCP | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-BRC | Bracknell Forest | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-BNH | Brighton and Hove | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-BST | Bristol, City of | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-BKM | Buckinghamshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-CBF | Central Bedfordshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-CHE | Cheshire East | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-CHW | Cheshire West and Chester | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-CON | Cornwall | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-DAL | Darlington | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-DER | Derby | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-DUR | Durham, County | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-ERY | East Riding of Yorkshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-HAL | Halton | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-HPL | Hartlepool | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-HEF | Herefordshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-IOW | Isle of Wight | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-IOS | Isles of Scilly | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-KHL | Kingston upon Hull | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-LCE | Leicester | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-LUT | Luton | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-MDW | Medway | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-MDB | Middlesbrough | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-MIK | Milton Keynes | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-NEL | North East Lincolnshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-NLN | North Lincolnshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-NNH | North Northamptonshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-NSM | North Somerset | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-NBL | Northumberland | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-NGM | Nottingham | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-PTE | Peterborough | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-PLY | Plymouth | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-POR | Portsmouth | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-RDG | Reading | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-RCC | Redcar and Cleveland | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-RUT | Rutland | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-SHR | Shropshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-SLG | Slough | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-SGC | South Gloucestershire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-STH | Southampton | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-SOS | Southend-on-Sea | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-STT | Stockton-on-Tees | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-STE | Stoke-on-Trent | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-SWD | Swindon | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-TFW | Telford and Wrekin | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-THR | Thurrock | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-TOB | Torbay | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-WRT | Warrington | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-WBK | West Berkshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-WNH | West Northamptonshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-WIL | Wiltshire | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-WNM | Windsor and Maidenhead | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-WOK | Wokingham | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-YOR | York | unitary authority | ENG |
| GB-ANN | Antrim and Newtownabbey | district | NIR |
| GB-AND | Ards and North Down | district | NIR |
| GB-ABC | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | district | NIR |
| GB-BFS | Belfast City | district | NIR |
| GB-CCG | Causeway Coast and Glens | district | NIR |
| GB-DRS | Derry and Strabane | district | NIR |
| GB-FMO | Fermanagh and Omagh | district | NIR |
| GB-LBC | Lisburn and Castlereagh | district | NIR |
| GB-MEA | Mid and East Antrim | district | NIR |
| GB-MUL | Mid-Ulster | district | NIR |
| GB-NMD | Newry, Mourne and Down | district | NIR |
| GB-ABE | Aberdeen City | council area | SCT |
| GB-ABD | Aberdeenshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-ANS | Angus | council area | SCT |
| GB-AGB | Argyll and Bute | council area | SCT |
| GB-CLK | Clackmannanshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-DGY | Dumfries and Galloway | council area | SCT |
| GB-DND | Dundee City | council area | SCT |
| GB-EAY | East Ayrshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-EDU | East Dunbartonshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-ELN | East Lothian | council area | SCT |
| GB-ERW | East Renfrewshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-EDH | Edinburgh, City of | council area | SCT |
| GB-ELS | Eilean Siar | council area | SCT |
| GB-FAL | Falkirk | council area | SCT |
| GB-FIF | Fife | council area | SCT |
| GB-GLG | Glasgow City | council area | SCT |
| GB-HLD | Highland | council area | SCT |
| GB-IVC | Inverclyde | council area | SCT |
| GB-MLN | Midlothian | council area | SCT |
| GB-MRY | Moray | council area | SCT |
| GB-NAY | North Ayrshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-NLK | North Lanarkshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-ORK | Orkney Islands | council area | SCT |
| GB-PKN | Perth and Kinross | council area | SCT |
| GB-RFW | Renfrewshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-SCB | Scottish Borders | council area | SCT |
| GB-ZET | Shetland Islands | council area | SCT |
| GB-SAY | South Ayrshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-SLK | South Lanarkshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-STG | Stirling | council area | SCT |
| GB-WDU | West Dunbartonshire | council area | SCT |
| GB-WLN | West Lothian | council area | SCT |
| GB-BGW | Blaenau Gwent | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-BGE | Bridgend [Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr GB-POG] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-CAY | Caerphilly [Caerffili GB-CAF] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-CRF | Cardiff [Caerdydd GB-CRD] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-CMN | Carmarthenshire [Sir Gaerfyrddin GB-GFY] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-CGN | Ceredigion [Sir Ceredigion] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-CWY | Conwy | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-DEN | Denbighshire [Sir Ddinbych GB-DDB] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-FLN | Flintshire [Sir y Fflint GB-FFL] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-GWN | Gwynedd | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-AGY | Isle of Anglesey [Sir Ynys Môn GB-YNM] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-MTY | Merthyr Tydfil [Merthyr Tudful GB-MTU] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-MON | Monmouthshire [Sir Fynwy GB-FYN] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-NTL | Neath Port Talbot [Castell-nedd Port Talbot GB-CTL] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-NWP | Newport [Casnewydd GB-CNW] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-PEM | Pembrokeshire [Sir Benfro GB-BNF] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-POW | Powys | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-RCT | Rhondda Cynon Taff [Rhondda CynonTaf] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-SWA | Swansea [Abertawe GB-ATA] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-TOF | Torfaen [Tor-faen] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-VGL | Vale of Glamorgan, The [Bro Morgannwg GB-BMG] | unitary authority | WLS |
| GB-WRX | Wrexham [Wrecsam GB-WRC] | unitary authority | WLS |
Changes
editThe following changes to the entry have been announced in newsletters by the ISO 3166/MA since the first publication of ISO 3166-2 in 1998. ISO stopped issuing newsletters in 2013.
| Newsletter | Date issued | Description of change in newsletter | Code/Subdivision change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newsletter I-2 | 2002-05-21 | Various corrections of name forms i.e. deletion of name adjuncts | |
| Newsletter I-8 | 2007-04-17 | Modification of the administrative structure | Subdivisions deleted: GB-CHA Channel Islands GB-IOM Isle of Man (see ISO 3166-2:IM) GB-GSY Guernsey (see ISO 3166-2:GG) GB-JSY Jersey (see ISO 3166-2:JE) |
| Newsletter I-9 | 2007-11-28 | Modification of administrative structure | |
| Newsletter II-2 | 2010-06-30 | Update and reorganization of the subdivision data and update of the list source | Subdivisions added: GB-BDF Bedford GB-CBF Central Bedfordshire GB-CHE Cheshire East GB-CHW Cheshire West and Chester Subdivisions deleted: GB-BDF Bedfordshire GB-CHS Cheshire GB-IOS Isles of Scilly |
| Newsletter II-3 | 2011-12-13 (corrected 2011-12-15) |
NL II-2 correction for administrative name changes. | Status change: WLS Wales principality → country |
The following changes to the entry are listed on ISO's online catalogue, the Online Browsing Platform:[1]
| Effective date of change | Short description of change (en) |
|---|---|
| 2022-11-29 | Deletion of two-tier county GB-NTH; Addition of unitary authority GB-NNH, GB-WNH; Change of category name from two-tier county to unitary authority for GB-BKM; Update List Source |
| 2022-03-03 | Correction of parent subdivision of GB-PEM |
| 2021-11-25 | Addition of subdivision categories country and province in eng & fra; Modification of remark part 2; Addition of country GB-ENG, GB-WLS, GB-SCT; Addition of province GB-NIR; Addition of parent subdivisions |
| 2020-11-24 | Deletion of GB-BMH, GB-POL; Addition of GB-BCP; Correction of spelling for GB-BFS, GB-DRS, GB-DUR, GB-MUL, GB-RCT, GB-SCB; Modification of remark, part 2; Update List Source |
| 2019-11-22 | Change of subdivision name of GB-ABC, GB-DRS; Modification of remark part 2; Update List Source |
| 2015-11-27 | Deletion of Northern Ireland district council areas GB-ANT, GB-ARD, GB-ARM, GB-BLA, GB-BLY, GB-BNB, GB-CKF, GB-CSR, GB-CLR, GB-CKT, GB-CGV, GB-DRY, GB-DOW, GB-DGN, GB-FER, GB-LRN, GB-LMV, GB-LSB, GB-MFT, GB-MYL, GB-NYM, GB-NTA, GB-NDN, GB-OMH, GB-STB; change of subdivision category from district council area to district GB-BFS; addition of Northern Ireland districts GB-ANN, GB-AND, GB-ABC, GB-CCG, GB-DRS, GB-FMO, GB-LBC, GB-MEA, GB-MUL, GB-NMD; update List Source |
| 2014-12-18 | Alignment of the English and French short names upper and lower case with UNTERM; update of the remarks in French |
| 2014-10-30 | Re-add GB-IOS |
| 2011-12-13 | NL II-2 correction for administrative name changes. |
| 2010-06-30 | Update and reorganization of the subdivision data and update of the list source |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Standard: ISO 3166 – Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions". ISO. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "GB car sticker to be replaced by new 'UK' version | RAC Drive". rac.co.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ "Changes in the list of subdivision names and code elements" (PDF). ISO 3166-2. International Organization for Standardization. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2012.