Secondary sector of the economy facts for kids
The secondary sector of the economy is a big part of how countries work. It's where raw materials, like wood or metal, are turned into finished products. Think of it as the "making stuff" part of the economy.
This sector includes manufacturing, which is when factories make goods, and construction, which is building things like houses and roads. It takes materials from the primary sector (like farming or mining) and changes them into items we can use or sell. These finished products are then sold to businesses or people, or sent to other countries. The tertiary sector helps with selling and distributing these goods.
Many industries in this sector use a lot of energy and big machines in factories. They can be called "light industry" (like making clothes) or "heavy industry" (like making cars). Sometimes, these activities create waste or heat, which can cause pollution.
Why the Secondary Sector is Important
Making things is really important for a country's economic growth. When a country makes and sells a lot of products, it usually earns more money. This helps the country's GDP grow, which means people can have higher incomes. More income means more tax revenue for the government. This money can then be used for important things like health care and infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.).
In many developed countries, the secondary sector offers good jobs, especially for people in the middle class. These jobs, like engineering, can help families improve their lives over time. For example, about 20% of workers in the United States are in the secondary industry.
How it Connects to Other Sectors
The secondary sector relies on the primary sector for its raw materials. Countries that mostly produce raw materials (like farming countries) often grow slower. This is because turning raw materials into finished goods adds a lot more value. For example, wood is valuable, but a wooden table is worth much more! This "added value" helps developed countries grow faster and become richer.
| Economy |
|
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(01)  China |
11,261
|
||||||||
(—)  European Union |
5,729
|
||||||||
(02)  United States |
4,093
|
||||||||
(03)  India |
2,604
|
||||||||
(04)  Japan |
1,719
|
||||||||
(05)  Indonesia |
1,549
|
||||||||
(06)  Russia |
1,422
|
||||||||
(07)  Germany |
1,364
|
||||||||
(08)  South Korea |
912
|
||||||||
(09)  Saudi Arabia |
840
|
||||||||
(10)  Mexico |
835
|
||||||||
(11)  Turkey |
763
|
||||||||
(12)  Brazil |
720
|
||||||||
(13)  United Kingdom |
639
|
||||||||
(14)  France |
597
|
||||||||
(15)  Italy |
587
|
||||||||
(16)  Iran |
578
|
||||||||
(17)  Canada |
537
|
||||||||
(18)  Poland |
517
|
||||||||
(19)  Thailand |
499
|
||||||||
(20)  Egypt |
490
|
||||||||
|
The twenty largest countries by industrial output (in PPP terms) at peak level as of 2020, according to the IMF and CIA World Factbook. |
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See also
In Spanish: Sector secundario para niños
