In most developing countries, a large percentage of the labour force is engaged in

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which economic sector employs the largest share of workers in most developing countries.

Step 2: The concept Economic activities are grouped into three sectors:

• Primary sector: extracting and producing raw materials (agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining)
• Secondary sector: manufacturing and construction
• Tertiary sector: services (trading, banking, transport)

Developing countries typically have low levels of industrialisation and technology. Most people therefore depend on farming for their livelihood. As an economy develops, labour gradually shifts from agriculture to manufacturing and then to services.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Trading: Many people trade, especially in the informal sector, but trading does not employ the largest share of the labour force.
• B. Mining: This is capital-intensive and employs only a small share of workers.
• C. Agriculture: This is the main occupation in most developing countries. In Nigeria, Ghana, Niger and many others, a large share of the population are farmers, mostly smallholders using simple tools.
• D. Manufacturing: This sector is underdeveloped in these countries because of limited capital, power and technology, so it employs relatively few people.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is C. agriculture.

Tip: In "developing countries" questions, think "agriculture first". Typical features of these economies are a large agricultural labour force, low per capita income, heavy reliance on primary products, and low industrialisation. Whenever you see "large percentage of labour force" together with "developing", the answer is almost always agriculture.