Postal Codes

• This page is part of a series under the NBER Patent Data Project
  • This page is referenced by the page Geocoding Inventor Locations

Postal codes, known as ZIP codes in the U.S., vary by national jurisdiction and for historical reasons. The PostalCodes.pm perl module provides a method to extract a postcode from a text string for a large number of ISO3166 codes.

The following postal codes formats are posted for reference, as are some simple regular expressions that should safely match most variants:

• Australia: (Sourced from Wikipedia): NNNN where N is a numeric. Australian postcodes should appear at the end of addresses, and are frequently preceded by the acronym for the territory/state (specifically: NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, and NT). In the patent data variations include: NNNN, AU-NNNN, XXX NNNN, Xxx. NNNN X.X.X. NNNN, XXXNNNN, where XXX indicate the two or three characters of the acronym.
  • Simple Regex: (NSW|Nsw|ACT|Act|VIC|Vic|QLD|Qld|SA|Sa|WA|Wa|TAS|Tas|NT|Nt|Au|AU)?(\w\.\w\.\w\.)?\.?\s?-?\s?\d{4,4}
• Belgium (Sourced from Wikipedia): NNNN where N is a numeric. Belgian postcodes are usually placed before the city, and the number of trailing zeros indicates the size of the city. However, the following formats also appear frequently in the patent data: NN NNNN, NNN, NNNN, NNNNN, NNNN-, NNN B-NNNN, NNN B-NNN, NN-NNNN, B-NNNN, NN - B NNNN, NN, N - B - NNNN, "NN, B. NNNN", B - NNNN, B -NNNN, B NNNN, B- NNNN, B--NNNN, B-NNNN, B-NNNN-, BNNNN, BNNNNN, BE - NNNN, BE-NNNN, BF-NNNN.
  • Simple Regex: \d{0,3},?\s?-{0,2}\s?B?[EF]?\.?\s?-{0,2}\s?\d{1,5}-?
• Canada: (Sourced from Wikipedia): XNX NXN, where X indicates a letter and the N a numeric. The first letter denotes the province or territory. This standard was adopted in 1970 (fully implemented by 1974) and is closely related to the UK and Dutch systems. In the patent data, Canadian postal codes appear (like the Canadians) very well behaved with the following variants appearing: XNX NXN, XNX-NXN, and XNX. Although it is possible that the letter O and the number 0 may be erroneously transcribed.
  • Simple Refex: [A-Z0-0][0-9O-O][A-Z0-0]\s?\-?\s?([0-9O-O][A-Z0-0][0-9O-O])?
• Finland (Sourced from Wikipedia): NNMMD where N, M and D are numerics, and NN indicates the municipality, MM the district and D is typically either a 0 (large area), 5 (small area) or 1 (for P.O. Boxes). In the patent data the following Finnish postal codes are evident: NNNNN, NNNNNN, FI--NNNNN, FI-NNNNN, FI-NNNN, FIB-NNNNN, FIN -NNNNN, FIN NNNNN, FIN- NNNNN, FIN-NNNNN, Finn-NNNNN, SF-NNNNN, and SF-NNNNNNN. Also the city name is sometimes followed by two digits.
  • Simple Refex: (FI|FIN|Finn|FINN|FIB|SF)?\s?-?-?\s?\d{4,7}
• France (Sourced from Wikipedia): NNNMM or NNMMM where NN and NNN are numerics indicating the préfectures and sous-préfectures, respectively, and MMM are other numerics. However the following formats also appear frequently in the patent data: F NNNNN, F-NNNNN, F - NNNNN, F- NN NNN, FNNNNN, F-NN NNN, F-NN, FR - NNNNN, FR NNNNN, FR-NNNNN, (NNNNN), (NN), - NNNNN, -NNNNN-, -NN, NN, NN - N-NNNNN, NNNN, NN NNN, NN.NNN, NNN/N, NN., F. NNNNN, F.NNNNN, "FRNN,NNN". French postal codes most often, but not exclusively, occur at the start of the address string. If there are fewer than 5 digits, trailing zeros should be added.
  • Simple Regex: \(?F?R?\.?\s?\d?-?\s?\d{2,3}\.?\s?\/?\d{0,3}-?\)?
• Germany (Sourced from Wikipedia): Currently (post 1993) German postcal codes consist of five digits: NNMMM where NN indicates the broad area and MMM indicates the sub-area. Prior to 1993 postal codes had four digits NNNN and between 1989 and 1993, O-NNNN (for East, Ost, Germany) and W-NNNN (for West Germany) was used. However, the following formats also appear frequently in the patent data: (NNNN), (D-NNNN), -NNNN, 0-NNNN, 0 - NNNN, 0-NNN, 0NNNN, N CityName NN, NN CityName NN, NNN CityName NN, NNNN CityName NN, NNNN CityName N, NNNN CityName N/BRD, NNNN CityName N/HB, 1-DNNNN, "10,NNNN", BRD-NNNN, N, NN, NNN, NNNN, NNNNN, NN.NNNNN, NN-NNNNN, d-NNNN, NN - NNNNN, NN NNN, D-N, D-NN, D-NNN, D-NNNN, D-NNNNN, D N CityName NN, D NN, D NNNN, D NNNNN, D- NNNN, D- NNNNN, D--NNNNN, D-0-NNNN, D-0NNNN, D-N-NNNNN, D.NNNN, D.NNNNN, D.-NNNNN, D0NNNN, DNNN NN. DNN, DNNN, DNNNN, DNNNNN, DE - NNNN, DE 0NNNN, DE NNNNN, DE-0NNNNN, DE-0-NNNN, DE-NNNN, DE-NNNNN, O-NNNN, W-NNNN, W-NNNN CityName NN, W-NNNNN CityName NN, WNNNN. Where CityName is Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Seevetal, etc., and DM, DS and DW appear instead of DE sometimes. Unfortunately this list is not exhaustive. Readers should note that there is a frequent transcription error of O (Ooh) as 0 (Zero).
  • Simple Regex (Doesn't catch everything): \(?(DE|D|1|W|)\.?-?[O0]?(BRD|1|)\s?-?\s?\d{2,5}\)?
• Hungary (Sourced from Wikipedia): H- or HU-NNNN. (Note: Apparently introduced in 1973.). From the patent data the following postcodes can be noted: NN, NNN, NNNN, NNNN-, H-NNNN, H--NNNN, and H-NN-N. However, u. NN and u. N frequently appear at the end of the CTY string, and some cities are followed by roman numerals.
  • Simple Regex (H|HU)?\s?-?\s?\d{2,4}-?\d{0,2}
• Ireland (Sourced from Wikipedia): The Republic of Ireland does not use postal codes per se. However some cities, particularly Dublin, use one or two digit district numbers following the city name. In the patent data the format bmNNNN also appeared and the district numbers appear strictly at the end of the string, except in the case where it is followed by "Eire.".
  • Simple Regex \d{1,2}\s?,?(Eire)?\.?$
• Spain (Sourced from Wikipedia): Post 1976 Spanish postcodes are five digits of the format NNMMM, where NN indicates the province (01-52) or a reserved code (e.g. 80 for P.O. boxes). In the patent data Spansish postcodes are comparatively well behaved, with the following standard variants appearing: NNNNN, NNN NN, NNNN, NN NNNNN, NN- NNNNN, -NNNNN, NNNNN-, "NN, NNNNN", NNN, NN, N NNNNN-, NN-NN, NN-NN NNNNN, NNNNN-IBI, E-NNNNN, E-NNNN, E - NNNNN, E--NNNNN, ES-NNNNN.
  • Simple Regex: (E|ES|)\d{0,2},?\s?-{0,2}\s?\d{2,5}-?(IBI|)
• Switzerland (Sourced from Wikipedia): Swiss (and Lictenstein) postcodes are hierarchical four-digit numbers of the form District+Area+Route+PONumber, where districts are numbered West to East (would you expect less from the Swiss?). In the patent data Swiss postcodes are comparatively immaculately behaved with the following formats appearing: NNNN, NNNN-, CH-NNNN, CH - NNNN, CH NNNN, CHNNN, CH- NNNN, CHNNN. Though the "H" may sometimes be lowercase.
  • Simple Regex: (CH|Ch|)\s?-?\s?\d{3,4}-?
• United Kingdom (Sourced from Wikipedia): A9 9AA, A99 9AA, A9A 9AA, AA9 9AA, AA99 9AA, AA9A 9AA.
  • Simple Regex: ([A-Z]{1,2}[0-9]{1,2}[A-Z]{0,1}\s[0-9][A-Z]{2,2})