Economy of Libya

In 1936, the main sectors of economic activity in Italian Libya (by number of employees) were industry (30.4%), public administration (29.8%), agriculture and fishing (16.7%), commerce (10.7%), transports (5.8%), domestic work (3.8%), legal profession and private teaching (1.3%), banking and insurance (1.1%)

The Libyan economy  grew in the late 1930s, mainly in the agricultural sector. Even some manufacturing activities were developed, mostly related to the food industry. Building construction increased in a huge way. Furthermore, the Italians made modern medical care available for the first time in Libya and improved sanitary conditions in the towns. They were able to do that because of the economic improvement of Libya after colonization. 

 By 1939, the Italians had built 400 kilometres (250 mi) of new railroads and 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) of new roads. The most important and largest highway project was the Via Balbo, an east-west coastal route connecting Tripoli in western Italian Tripolitania to Tobruk in eastern Italian Cyrenaica. Most of these projects and achievements were completed between 1934 and 1940 when Italo Balbo was governor of Italian Libya.The last railway development in Libya done by the Italians was the Tripoli-Benghazi line that was started in 1941 and was never completed because of the Italian defeat during World War II.

References:

Fowler, Gary. "Libya | History - Geography :: Italian Colonization." Encyclopedia Britannica. 3 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339574/Libya/46562/Italian-colonization>.

"Libyan History: Italian Colonization (1911-42)." Libyan History : Italian Colonization. 14 Oct. 2007. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. <http://histclo.com/country/arab/lib/hist/lh-ita.html>.