Economia e popolazione in Africa orientale italiana e Libia 1936-1941

In 1936 the proclamation of the Italian Empire set in motion a radical transformation of economic structures in Libya. The most remarkable innovations were a huge increase in public expenditure, destined to build the towns and all the infrastructures necessary to promote economic development, and the start of regular immigration from Italy. Both factors contributed to widen the scope of capitalist economy, whilst involving tens of thousands of African natives too. The natives often abandoned their subsistence agriculture to enrol in the armed forces, while a considerable mass of people found employment in Italian enterprises. This caused their salaries to increment the monetary economy and also stimulated the diversification of consumption in a European sense. The Arab population resident in the towns had also increased notably. This started the multiplication of small commercial and craft enterprises looking to satisfy the demand for consumer goods. This research also presents some estimates of the income distribution for the different ethnic groups making up the population of Tripoli. The data attest the formation of a new arab urban middle class.