Sectorvariaties

Sectorvariaties is a statistical concept used to describe the degree of variation in economic activity across sectors within a region, country, or city. It is often used to assess the structure of an economy and how diversified or specialized it is. The term is more common in regional economics and appears in Dutch- and German-language literature as Sectorvariaties or sectorvariations; there is no universal formal definition, and the term is generally used descriptively rather than as a standardized index.

Methodology commonly involves calculating the variance of sectoral shares of employment or output, using official statistics organized by standard industry classifications such as ISIC, NACE, or NAICS. Lower variance indicates concentration in a few sectors, while higher variance suggests diversification across many sectors. Alternative measures, such as the Herfindahl index or the Theil index, capture diversification with different mathematical properties.

Applications include informing regional development policy, assessing economic resilience to shocks, and guiding investment planning. Policymakers may seek to increase Sectorvariaties to reduce exposure to sector-specific downturns or to support growth in emerging areas.

Limitations include sensitivity to the level of sector granularity, data quality, and reclassification of sectors over time. Sectorvariaties do not measure the absolute size of the economy or growth rates; they focus on the distribution of activity across sectors.

See also: economic diversification, sectoral composition, diversification indices, and standard industry classifications such as ISIC, NACE, and NAICS.