noun
national citizen identification number system
A system in which every citizen is assigned a unique identification number by the government. Often discussed in the context of privacy and administrative efficiency.
国民総背番号制の導入には賛否両論がある。
There are pros and cons to introducing a national citizen identification number system.
マイナンバー is the specific Japanese individual number system introduced in 2016, while 国民総背番号制 is a broader, more abstract term for any national ID number system.
Compound of 国民 (citizen), 総 (all), 背番号 (number on the back, like a sports uniform), and 制 (system). The term evokes the image of every citizen being assigned a number like a player on a team.