Sectors of the Economy

Primary Sector

The primary sector of the economy extracts or harvests products from the earth, such as raw materials and basic foods.

Activities associated with primary economic activities:

• They include agriculture (both subsistence and commercial), mining, forestry, farming, grazing, hunting and gathering, fishing and quarrying.
• The packaging and processing of raw materials are also considered to be part of this sector.

Do You Know?

In developed and developing countries, a decreasing proportion of workers are involved in the primary sector.

• Only about 2% of the U.S. labor force is engaged in primary sector activity today.
• In India about 17% are engaged in ....