471 people lived in the commune. The inhabitants are the "Arbignolans". The local economy is mostly based around agriculture and wine. The most important monuments in the commune are the "Boule de Gargantua", a block of sandstone moved there by the giant "Gargantua" (referring to the main character from the novel Gargantua by François Rabelais), the "Peyzieu" church and the ruins of the "Château de Longecombe", a castle from the 12th century. Famous people from Arbignieu include Césaire Nivière, an agronomist from the 19th century.