recode: map values and ranges into categories

Convert numeric values into a smaller set of categories while keeping the original measurement available for checking.

Tested 2026-08-06 with the current stats.camp development build · View the do-file on GitHub

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Complete example

clear
import delimited "data/student_scores.csv"
recode math (min/49 = 1 "Below 50") (50/59 = 2 "50 to 59") (60/max = 3 "60 or more"), generate(math_band) label(math_band_labels)
tabulate math_band
list id math math_band in 1/8

generate(math_band) creates a new variable instead of changing math. The three rules are inclusive at both ends.

Output from stats.camp

  math_band |      Freq.     Percent        Cum.
------------+-----------------------------------
          1 |          4       16.67       16.67
          2 |         10       41.67       58.33
          3 |         10       41.67      100.00
------------+-----------------------------------
      Total |         24      100.00

+-------------------------------+
|  #    id    math   math_band  |
|-------------------------------|
|   1     1     45           1  |
|   2     2     51           2  |
|   3     3     43           1  |
|   4     4     56           2  |
|   5     5     48           1  |
|   6     6     60           3  |
|   7     7     57           2  |
|   8     8     61           3  |
+-------------------------------+

How to read the result

Four observations fall below 50, ten fall from 50 through 59, and ten are at least 60. The inline labels are attached to the generated value-label set, although this current frequency-table display shows the underlying codes.

Always check boundary values such as 49, 50, 59, and 60. Off-by-one rules are among the easiest recoding errors to overlook.

Common options and rules

generate(newvar) preserves the source; prefix(text) creates one prefixed output for every recoded variable.
label(name) names the value-label set created from inline labels and requires a generated output.
copyrest carries values not selected by a qualifier into a generated variable; without it, out-of-scope rows are missing.
test reports overlapping or unused rules.
missing, nonmissing, min, max, and numeric ranges are supported rule components.

See the current recode entry and Stata's recode manual for an external reference.

Related guides

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