Human activity is an activity performed by a human being to meet his/her needs and wants or maybe for personal satisfaction. Human activities can be categorised into economic and non-economic activities.
| Particulars | Economic Activity | Non-Economic Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Economic activities are those activities which are undertaken to earn money or financial gain for livelihood. e.g., Burger seller selling Burger |
Non-economic activities are those activities which are undertaken for the sake of pleasure, performed out of love, sympathy, sentiments etc. e.g., Mother cooks for her family |
| Motive | The sole motive is to earn money or financial gain. e.g., Working as an accountant. |
Undertaken for the satisfaction of social psychological or emotional needs. e.g., Visiting mosque |
| Money Measurement | All economic activities can be valued in monetary terms. e.g., Doctor charges ₹500 as consultation fee. |
Non-economic activities cannot be valued in monetary terms. These are an expression of a thought, feeling or a gesture. e.g., An NGO distributes free clothes to poor children |
| Relationship | Economic activities are related to the creation of wealth. eg., Jack saved part of his salary to purchase a house of his won. |
Non-economic activities do not create wealth. e.g., Money received as a donation is spent on charity work |
| Outcome | All economic activities result in the production, procurement, distribution and consumption of goods and services.
e.g., Xioami produces cell phones and sells across India through its distributors. |
The end result of a non-economic activity is the mental, emotional or psychological satisfaction of the person doing the activity. e.g., Sonia enjoys teaching orphans in an orphanage. |
| Duration | Economic activities are repetitive. They are done on a regular basis to earn a living. e.g., Ice-cream seller sells ice creams every evening. |
Non-economic activities may not be undertaken regularly. Usually, they are done during free time. e.g., Sachin visits an orphanage in his free time. |
| Source of Initiation | Economic activities are initiated to satisfy human needs and wants. | Non-economic activities are initiated to satisfy emotional or sentimental pleasures. |
