The Charente department, has a sound industrial base which can be divided into highly representative sectors of activity such as the food processing industry (IAA), electronic and electrical equipment and components, and the wood and paper industries. These sectors account for 53% of all industry-based jobs, and are mainly located in the Angoulême and Cognac labour pools.

The Charente has 14,408 companies (INSEE 01/01/03, NES 5), broken down as follows: Industry 14%, Construction 16%, Trade and repairs 29%, Other services 41%.

Industry accounts for 42% of all jobs (excluding agriculture), compared with 18% for the Poitou-Charentes region as a whole.

28% of all industrial jobs in the Region are based in the Charente.

Accounting for 44% of all exports from the Poitou-Charentes, the Charente is the region's leading exporting department. Its trade surplus comes to €1,526 million (link to the key figures) (source Customs 2002)