The population of the basin goes up to nearly 620 000 inhabitants, spread out on 748 towns. The seasonal population represents 117 445 inhabitants (2004 analysis).
The four main towns are Angoulême (103 746 inhabitants spread on the whole connurbation or 43 628 inhab. For the town in itself), Rochefort (25 775 inhabitants), Cognac (19 525 inhabitants) and Saintes (25 628 inhabitants). (1999 analysis).
The river Charente crosses three counties in the region of Poitou Charentes: the counties of Charente (6 864 km ² , 557 024 inhabitants), Charente Maritime (6 864 km ² , 557 024 inhabitants), Vienne (6 990 km² , 399 024 inhabitants) as well as a small part of Dordogne ((9222 km² , 386 365 inhabitants) and Haute-Vienne (5512 km² , 353 593 habitants).
