A traditional economy is defined by three characteristics:

1. It is based on agriculture, fishing, hunting, gathering or some combination of the

above.
2. It is guided by traditions.
3. It may use barter instead of money.
For these reasons, people who live in a traditional economy appear to be living in poverty,
even if their daily needs are being met.
Most traditional economies operate in emerging markets, or

It is generally thought that all other economies got their starts as traditional economies.
Likewise, it is generally expected that a traditional economy will evolve into either
amarket, command or mixed economy.

Characteristics of a Traditional Economy

At its most basic level, a traditional economy exists in a hunter/gatherer and nomadic
society. These groups live in families or tribes, and cover wide areas to find enough food
to support them. They follow the herds of animals that sustain them. They may also
move to follow the seasons, whether it's winter/summer or wet/dry season.
At the next level, hunter/gatherers find a fertile area they can cultivate, and become
farmers. They can support more people using fewer resources. This allows them to erect
permanent structures, and trade with other groups instead of

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Since traditional economies center around a family or tribe, it is easy to use traditions
gained from the experience of the elders to guide day-to-day life. Economic decisions are
based on these traditions.

Nomadic hunter/gatherers usually compete with other groups for scarce natural
resources. There is little need for trade, since they all consume and produce pretty much
the same things. There may be trade between groups that don't compete, such as
between one that relies on hunting comes across a group that relies on fishing, for
example. In these cases, metal coins wold be heavy to carry and not really needed.
However, once they started farming and settled down, the groups created some form of
money to make trade over long distances easier.
When traditional economies in the modern world interact with market or command
economies, cash takes on a more important role. Cash enables those in the traditional
economy to purchase better equipment to make their farming, hunting or fishing more
profitable.

Traditional Economy Advantages

Since traditional economies rely on custom and tradition, the distribution of resources is
usually well-known. Everyone knows their role in production, and what they are likely to
receive. Traditional economies are usually less destructive to the environment, and are
therefore sustainable.
Traditional Economy Disadvantages

Traditional economies are very vulnerable to changes in nature, especially the weather.
For this reason, traditional economies limit population growth. When the harvest or
hunting is poor, people starve. They are also more vulnerable to market or command
economies that have superior resources to wage war or take away needed natural
resources. For example, Russian oil development in Siberia has damaged streams and
the tundra, reducing traditional fishing and reindeer herding.

Traditional Economy Examples

Traditional economies prevailed in the U.S. before the immigration of Europeans

beginning in 1492. Native Americans economies that relied on hunting and fishing were
more healthy than those that relied on farming and therefore massed in large, disease-
prone communities. Nevertheless, even the most successful hunting-based economies
were devastated by poaching and war from the new settlers. Their market economy gave
them weapons and a source of funding that the traditional economies couldn't compete
with. (Source: Science, Health of American Indians in Decline Before Columbus)
The United States had many aspects of a traditional economy before the Great
Depression. In the beginning of the 20th century, 60% of the U.S. lived in farming
communities, while 41% of the workforce was employed by farms. Over-farming of
marginal lands occurred in response to demand from Europe after World War I.When
drought conditions arose, this over-farming led to the Dust Bowl. By 1930, only 21% of
the workforce was in agriculture, which generated just 7.7% of GDP.
Before the Civil War, the American South had somewhat of a traditional economy. It was
based largely on farming, and was guided by a strong network of traditions and culture
that were largely devastated by the War.(Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, The 20th
Century Transformation of Agriculture)
Two-thirds of Haiti's population relies on subsistence farming for their livelihood. Their
reliance on wood as a primary source of fuel has stripped the forests of trees. This
makes them vulnerable to natural disasters, such as the earthquake that struck Haiti in
2010. Some economists also point to Haiti's tradition of voodoo as another reason for its
poverty. (Source: CIA World Factbook, Haiti's Economy; Marginal Revolution, Why Is
Haiti so Poor?)
Many indigenous tribes in the Arctic region, in North America and eastern Russia, have
maintained their traditional economy. They rely on fishing and hunting of caribou for their
existence. Others, such as the Saami, manage reindeer herds. Although they may not
receive a lot of their income this way, a tribe member's relationship to managing the herd
still defines his or her legal status, culture and even the state's policies toward the
individual. (Source: Lee Huskey, University of Alaska at Anchorage, "The Changing
Economies of Indigenous Communities," Module Six) Article updated January 11, 2015.

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