What is the primary sector?

We explain what is the primary sector and what are the sectors with which it is completed. In addition, examples of these economic activities.

What is the primary sector?

The primary sector is the economic activities that are extracted from nature for the production of raw materials with the objective of being used for direct consumption. The primary sector also produces products so that they later become different products.

Because there is no product processing (only the collection from the natural environment that provides them), these are usually part of the economies of developing countries .

Examples of the primary sector, collecting oranges, wool without process obtained after shearing sheep, seeds are harvested and then sold without further processing, vegetables and vegetables, etc.

From an economic point of view, there are different types of sectors, in addition to the primary sector. Thus, after the primary sector is the secondary, tertiary, quaternary and quinary sectors. However, the first three are those that cover almost all economic activities.

Secondary sector

The secondary sector is responsible for the transformation of raw materials.

It is the elaboration of the products based on the products of the primary sector . They use machinery for what is known as the industrial sector . In other words, the secondary sector is responsible for the transformation of raw materials obtained from nature (primary sector) and their subsequent processing. This sector can be encompassed in five main pillars: crafts, industry, construction, mining and obtaining energy.

Third sector

This sector does not produce goods but offers services to society and secondary sector industries . For this reason, this sector is known as the service sector since it does not imply the production and / or processing of material goods, but rather they are responsible for the satisfaction of different people’s needs.

Quaternary Sector

The quaternary sector has as its function the development of specialized research.

It is a sector that has been called as such recently. It deals with intangible issues, that is, not visible. Its function is the development of specialized research, innovation and information . They are services that cannot be mechanized. In this sector, companies (whether from the primary, secondary or tertiary sector) invest since it guarantees them an expansion.

Quinary Sector

Few economists make reference to this sector. However, those who mention them as a fifth sector of the economy include, within this, non-routine and non-profit production services such as culture , education , entertainment and art .

Also within this sector would be the domestic activities that a person performs within their own home , such as the tasks of housewives or the care of family members within the home.