Secondary Sector Images

The secondary sector of the economy or industrial sector includes those economic sectors that create a finished, tangible product: production and construction.

This sector generally takes the output of the primary sector and manufactures finished goods. These products are then either exported or sold to domestic consumers and to places where they are suitable for use by other businesses. This sector is often divided into light industry and heavy industry. Many of these industries consume large quantities of energy and require factories and machinery to convert the raw materials into goods and products. They also produce waste materials and waste heat that may pose environmental problems or cause pollution.

The twenty largest countries by industrial output in 2013, according to the IMF and CIA World Factbook.