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primary, secondary & tertiary industries represent the different kinds of

businesses in a country’s economic setup. These major types of industries differ
based on economic activities and income levels as well. In this article, we will discuss
the three different types of industries in detail and understand the major
differences between them.

In a primary industry, the economic activities usually depend on the environment of

that specific region. The economic activities in a primary industry revolve around the
usage of the natural resources of the planet like vegetation, water, minerals, earth,
etc. In this industry, the major economic activities are harvesting and hunting,
fisheries, pastoral activities, mining, agriculture, extraction, and afforestation. The
people engaged in working in the primary industry are generally referred to as red-
collar workers.

In a secondary industry, the economic activities revolve around adding value to the
natural resources by transforming the various raw materials into usable and valuable
products. This is done via several processing, manufacturing, and construction
industries. The workers belonging to this industry are generally referred to as blue-
collar workers.

In a tertiary industry, the major economic activities include exchange and

production. Production usually involves the “provision” of a large array of services
consumed on a large scale by millions of consumers. When we talk of exchange, this
involves transportation, trade, and communication facilities that are often used to
overcome distances. The workers belonging to this sector are generally referred to as
white-collar professionals.

Now, let’s have a look at the three different types of industries in detail.

1. Primary industry
The primary industry includes the economy that utilises the natural resources of the
environment like forestry, agriculture, fishing, and mining. Generally, this particular
sector is considered the most crucial in the developing countries & is relatively
smaller in the developed nations.

When we talk about developing countries, the primary industry is usually the largest
sector. When we speak of an example, livestock farming in Africa is much more
important than that in Japan. In a similar way, the whole of Wales depended mainly
on mining and is the primary source of the economy there. This is the only sector in
which the entire country of Wales can survive.
The massive technological advancements in the various developed countries have
made it possible to engage lesser human resources and get most of the work done
by mechanical means. This is the reason why a lesser percentage of human workers
are required in the developed countries.

The primary industry examples include mining, fishing, mountain engineering

industries.

2. Secondary industry
The secondary industry majorly includes those industries which are involved in
construction and manufacturing. This industry usually utilises the products from the
primary industry to create several other utility products and also engage in their sales
and export. Several of these industries produce a lot of waste materials that can lead
to a considerable level of environmental issues and cause pollution. Also, this sector
requires a large level of energy as many factories and machines are needed to
accomplish the works in the secondary industry.

The secondary industry is again divided into the heavy and light industry.

 The light industry usually requires a relatively smaller quantity of raw

materials, lesser power and smaller area. The value of the produced products
in the light industries is generally low and very easy to transport. This has a
 lesser environmental impact, and the most standard activities in this industry
are the manufacturing of food, beverages, home and personal products,
electronics and clothing.
 The heavy industry involves several characteristics as heavy and large
products. This involves more capital industry as compared to light industry
and depends more on the work and investment. Construction, transportation
and manufacturing businesses majorly constitute this industry. Some of the
examples are petroleum processing, manufacturing of machinery, ships etc.
They majorly require equipment and capital. They are also often criticised for
their high level of impact that it creates on the environment.

The major examples of secondary industry are the plastic industry, the food

industry, home appliances industry, the textile and leather industry, entertainment
and gardening industry, personal care and beauty products industry, storage and
cleaning industry.

3. Tertiary industry
The tertiary industry majorly consists of the service sector. This would include
several activities where the people usually offer their expertise and knowledge for
improving productivity, potential, performance and sustainability. The most
prominent characteristic of the tertiary sector is the production of several nature
services that include advice, care, experiences, access and discussions.

The services may also involve the distribution, transport and sales of goods from the
production company to the consumers via different channels. The goods are
transformed in this process as in the restaurant industry, where the raw foods are
used for cooking several dishes and serving to the consumers. The focus of this
industry is more to interact with a lot of people and focus on customer service even
more than the transformation of the different kinds of physical goods.

There are several sub-categories of the tertiary industry. Some of the major ones are
jotted here:

 Professional services – Several occupations are included in the tertiary

sector that majorly requires special expertise and training in the sciences and
arts. Some of the major professional services require specialised professional
licenses just like that of the auditors, architects, lawyers, engineers and
doctors. The other professional services also involve several specialised
businesses supported like a professional offering their services to the
companies like tax consulting or IT services. The other professions in this
category are dentists, administrators, nurses, pharmacists and surgeons.
 Telecommunications – This is a sector that deals with the transmission of
signs, signals, words, messages, sounds, images or intelligence of any kind
through cables, radio, electromagnetic internet and television systems.
 Franchises – This is the practice of offering the right to use a specific business
model and a specific brand for a certain interval of time. For a particular
franchise owner, this is an alternative for building commercial chains for the
distribution of goods. Several countries have laws that strictly regulate the
franchising industry.
 Public health – This specifically refers to the specialised professional area that
concentrates on preventing diseases and helps in prolonging lives and
promote human health through several informed decisions and organised
efforts. There are several private and public bodies, individuals and
communities which dedicatedly work in this specific sector.