sectorindustry

Sectorindustry is a term used in economics and business analytics to describe a two-dimensional framework for classifying economic activity. It combines broad sector categories—such as primary, secondary, tertiary, and sometimes quaternary—with more detailed industry groupings within each sector, yielding a sector–industry mapping that can be used for analysis and reporting. In practice, an activity is identified by the sector it belongs to and the specific industry within that sector, for example agriculture within the primary sector, steel manufacturing within the secondary sector, or software services within the tertiary sector.

Purpose and use: This approach enables more precise cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons, supports supply chain analysis, investment screening, and regional planning, and helps organizations align market intelligence with policy or resource allocation decisions. Data producers often implement sector–industry codes in parallel with standard classifications such as ISIC, NAICS, or GICS, and use crosswalks to translate between systems.

Guidance and limitations: Because sector definitions and industry boundaries vary across countries and sources, sector–industry mappings can affect comparability. The concept is most useful when embedded in a consistent data framework and documented methodology. Not all analyses require a two-dimensional grid; some contexts rely on either sector or industry alone.

Related concepts: Economic sector and industry classification systems such as ISIC, NAICS, and GICS.