Gateshead Community Cohesion Strategy 2026 to 2031
Current local picture
Population and demographics
Population
Approx 202,760 (mid-2025 estimate)
Ethnicity
93.5% White (90.3% White British), 2.5% Asian/Asian British, 1.2% Mixed/multiple ethnic groups,1.1% Black/Black British, 1.6% Other ethnic groups.
Religion
50.8% Christian, 40.1% No religion, 2.1% Muslim, 1.5% Jewish, 0.3% Hindu, 0.2% Sikh, 0.2% Buddhist. Gateshead is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the UK where Orthodox Jewish traditions and culture are an important and visible part of local life.
Sexual Orientation
91% heterosexual population, with a small (3.4%) but significant proportion identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Age
Gateshead's population is broadly distributed across age groups, with 22.3% aged 0 to 19, 37.1% aged 20 to 49, 20.2% aged 50 to 64, and 20.4% aged 65 and over. Current trends indicate an ageing population, in line with national projections, which is expected to become more pronounced as life expectancy continues to rise.
Deprivation
Gateshead is ranked 42nd out of 296 local authorities in England for overall deprivation (IMD 2025 (opens new window)). Almost 1 in 5 (19%) of Gateshead's population live in areas that fall within the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Deprivation is particularly concentrated in the central and eastern parts of the borough.