nonindustrial

Nonindustrial is an adjective used to describe economies, societies, or areas that are not based on or characterized by industrial manufacturing. In economic history, nonindustrial regions rely primarily on agriculture, resource extraction, crafts, and services rather than large-scale factory production. They may feature small-scale workshops, family-based labor, and local or regional market networks. The term is commonly used to contrast with industrial or post-industrial economies.

Historically, most preindustrial societies were nonindustrial, with production organized around agriculture, artisanal crafts, and trade. The rise of mechanized manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution shifted many regions toward industrial specialization, urbanization, and higher productivity. In contemporary usage, nonindustrial can describe rural towns, agrarian economies, or areas where manufacturing is minimal or absent, including craft districts and tourism-based zones.

In urban planning and geography, nonindustrial areas refer to districts or regions lacking significant factory floors or heavy industry. Planning considerations in such areas often emphasize land use compatibility, preservation of traditional crafts, or diversification toward services and tourism rather than manufacturing.

The term is less common as a formal economic category today, with more precise terms such as agrarian, primary-sector-based, service-based, or deindustrialized often preferred. Nonetheless, nonindustrial descriptions can be useful for discussions of historical transitions, regional development, and contrasts between rural and urban economies.

See also: preindustrial, agrarian economy, deindustrialization, artisanal.