Majandusharusid

Majandusharusid are the categories used to describe the structure of an economy by grouping activities according to the kind of economic activity and its role in production. They help researchers, policymakers, and statisticians analyze how output and employment are distributed, how the economy evolves over time, and how policy measures affect different parts of the economy. Data on economic activity by sector are published in national accounts and labor statistics, often aligned with international classifications such as the ISIC and the System of National Accounts.

The traditional division is into three broad sectors: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The primary sector includes extraction of natural resources such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining. The secondary sector covers manufacturing, construction, and energy production. The tertiary sector comprises services such as trade, transport, finance, education, health, and hospitality. In more developed economic analyses, additional sectors such as the quaternary sector (knowledge-based activities like information technology, research and development, and education) and the quinary sector (top-level decision making in government, economy, and culture) may be distinguished to reflect newer patterns of production and value creation.

Structural changes over time, such as deindustrialization and the expansion of services, are commonly described using majandusharusid. The share of each sector in GDP and employment indicates a country’s development stage and can guide economic policy, investment, and training decisions.