How to Read a Barcode: Can it Tell You a Product's Country of Origin?

Written by Barcoding, Inc.
Mar 10, 2022
TOPIC: Data Capture
4 min read

Several times in years past, this question was the subject of memes that made the social media rounds instructing consumers to read barcode numbers to identify the country of origin of products they wanted to buy.

As with a lot of unvetted information circulating online, the meme in question may have begun with a kernel truth. But it’s a misrepresentation of the information associated with a product’s barcode.

Let’s set the record straight about the numbers assigned to companies by GS1, the nonprofit member organization that develops, establishes, and communicates barcoding standards in use around the world.

What Types of Information Can You Find in a Barcode?

Various types of barcodes were developed for use in many different industries and applications, and barcodes can contain widely varying types and amounts of information. Some basic information associated with a barcode can include the product identity, size, weight, manufacturer identity, and yes—information about the facility where the product was manufactured, among other data.

But, as the memes suggest, do the first three digits show the country of origin? The short answer is no.

Barcode Prefixes & Country of Origin

As you can see in the list below, the first three digits of a GS1 company prefix are, in fact, associated with the country where the manufacturer’s business is based. When a company registers with the GS1 member organization, it is assigned a unique identifier that starts with the GS1 prefix of the GS1 member country.

So—is it a country code? Yes, it is. But it’s easy to understand that a company’s headquarters or office location and production facilities are often in different countries (sometimes several countries). So while there isn’t a barcode country of origin list, there is a list of countries in which manufacturers’ businesses are based.

When a company applies for a GS1 prefix, they provide their location to the organization, and that determines their country prefix—and the items they manufacture can be produced anywhere in the world.

That said, following is the list of GS1 prefixes and their corresponding countries:

Need a Barcode for Your Product?

Get started by getting your GS1 Company Prefix to identify your company as the owner of the products and their associated barcodes. Different tiers are available depending on how many products you need to produce barcodes for. If you only need to identify a single product you can license a single GS1 US GTIN for a one-time charge with no recurring/annual fees.

You can quickly and easily create a barcode graphic by providing your barcode symbology and data to our free online Barcode Generator tool.

Putting barcodes to work enhances product tracking, traceability, and operational efficiency. But to maximize the benefits of implementing a barcoding and warehouse management system, it’s vitally important to start right. Download our guide, Warehouse Barcode Systems: How to Label New Facility, to get a clear understanding of the critical factors to consider in a new facility. Just click below and in moments, you can have a copy in your own hands.