Charente: population, economy and official figures
Charente is a department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Charente had 352,677 residents on 1 January 2025, 5.7% of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and 0.51% of France; 67th largest of 101 departments in France.
352,677
59.1
48.9
27.7%
5,974
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Charente: GDP per person was 33,900 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 85% of the EU average (98% for France); 33rd highest of 101 departments in France.
- Education in Charente: 3,210 pupils in 44 colleges in Charente sat the general series of the diplôme national du brevet (DNB) in 2025; 6 of those colleges were private schools under contract, which entered 17% of candidates (France: 22%).
- Poverty and living standards in Charente: On poverty, Charente ranked 46th lowest of 97 departements in 2023: 15.4% of residents lived on less than 60% of the national median living standard, against 15.9% in metropolitan France.
- Government budget and revenue in Charente: The departmental council of Charente spent €509.30 million in 2025, or €1,414 per resident, 30th highest of 94 departmental councils (average €1,260).
- Government and politics in Charente: 38 councillors currently sit for Charente on the departmental council; they are elected in mixed woman-and-man pairs from its 19 cantons, and the delegation is the 56th largest of 96 departements.
Is the population of Charente growing?
That is 0.3% fewer people than in 2015 (353,613).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow densely populated is Charente?
There were 59.1 people per square kilometre in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the median age in Charente?
The median age was 48.9 years in 2025, against 42.8 for France; 23rd highest of 101 departments in France.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow old is the population of Charente?
27.7% of residents were 65 or older and 14.4% were under 15 in 2025.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many births and deaths are there in Charente?
In 2024 there were 2,662 live births and 4,324 deaths, a natural decrease of 1,662.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow big is Charente?
It covers 5,974 km².
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre people moving to Charente?
The net migration rate was +4.6 per 1,000 residents in 2024, while births minus deaths gave a natural change of -4.7 per 1,000.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyFigures come from France's own official statistics and from Eurostat's regional statistics for NUTS 3 areas. Comparisons with the EU average use purchasing power standards (PPS), which adjust for price differences.
Other departments in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Gironde 1,720,562
- Pyrénées-Atlantiques 717,461
- Charente-Maritime 681,647
- Landes 442,133
- Vienne 437,292
- Dordogne 420,008
- Deux-Sèvres 374,840
- Haute-Vienne 372,794
- Lot-et-Garonne 334,995
- Corrèze 241,274
- Creuse 115,156
Up a level: Nouvelle-Aquitaine · all regions of France · how local power works in France
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjangrp3: Population on 1 January (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4c748d3cba3a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Median age of the population (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7bf6ade55a0d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Share of people aged 65 or over (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 17aa0d08ab9c…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec3: Live births (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cfda9b5f4ebd…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_gind3: Population change: demographic balance and crude rates by NUTS 3 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7548e948e15c…)
- Ministère de l'Éducation nationale, DEPP: Indicateurs de valeur ajoutée des collèges, sessions 2024 and 2025 of the diplôme national du brevet, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4022d6fb202a…)
- Ministère de l'Intérieur, Service statistique ministériel de la sécurité intérieure (SSMSI): Base statistique départementale de la délinquance enregistrée par la police et la gendarmerie nationales, 2016-2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 05fd70cbfe72…)
- INSEE: Indicateurs sur les revenus et la pauvreté au niveau local en 2023 (Filosofi 2023, base FILOSOFI_CC), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f3822a78e3f5…)
- Ministère de l'Intérieur: Répertoire national des élus: conseillers départementaux (mise à jour du 11 août 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7af7a47ebab9…)
- Observatoire des finances et de la gestion publique locales (OFGL), from DGFiP accounts: Comptes des départements 2012-2025 (budgets principaux, 2019-2025 extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3c1b2d8de45d…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.