ágazat

Ágazat is a Hungarian term that refers to a sector, branch, or field of activity within an economy or society. It is used to categorize activities into distinct areas for statistical, planning, and organizational purposes.

The term derives from the Hungarian verb ágazik, meaning to branch, and literally denotes a subdivision of a larger whole.

Traditionally, economists distinguish three main ágazatok: elsődleges ágazat (primary sector), which includes agriculture, forestry, and fishing; másodlagos ágazat (secondary sector), which covers manufacturing and construction; and harmadik ágazat (tertiary sector), which encompasses services. Some classification schemes also identify a quaternary sector (and, less commonly, a quinary sector) to reflect knowledge-based and high-level activities.

In Hungary, statistical data by ágazat are published by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) as part of national accounts, employment, and productivity statistics. The concept also aligns with international classifications such as NACE, allowing cross-country comparisons.

See also: economic sector, industry, national accounts.