Atvinnuvegir

Atvinnuvegir (singular: atvinnuvegur) is the Icelandic term for economic sectors or industries—categories dividing economic activity by the kind of product or service produced. The concept is used in national accounts, labor market statistics, and regional planning to describe how production and employment are distributed across different activities.

Typically, economists classify activities into broad sectors: primary (extractive and agricultural activities such as fisheries, farming, forestry), secondary (manufacturing and construction), and tertiary (services, including trade, transport, health, education, finance, hospitality). Some analyses also distinguish quaternary activities (information, research, ICT) and other service-based activities, reflecting a more detailed classification.

In Iceland, statistics on atvinnuvegir are produced by Hagstofa Íslands and other government agencies. These data support GDP by sector, employment by sector, productivity analyses, and regional development policy. The structure of atvinnuvegir can inform policy decisions, such as diversification, labor force training, and investment in infrastructure.

Because Iceland's economy has long depended on natural resources—fishing and energy—service sectors such as tourism and public services have grown in importance in recent decades. The atvinnuvegir concept provides a framework to monitor shifts in economic activity, growth, and resilience across different industries over time.