South Shields constituency is centred on the coastal town of South Shields at the mouth of the River Tyne. The town is the principal commercial and residential centre, with a long maritime, shipbuilding and industrial history reflected in its waterfront and urban form. The North Sea and Tyne estuary define much of the constituency’s eastern and northern edges, while residential neighbourhoods extend inland toward the wider South Tyneside area. Metro, road and bus links connect the seat with Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland. Overall, the constituency is strongly urban and coastal, focused on one large town rather than a rural hinterland.
Election data comes from UK Parliament. Turnout percentage is calculated by Project Open Gov from Parliament's turnout and electorate figures.
People and place
A population and household snapshot for South Shields, using validated House of Commons Library constituency datasets.
Estimated population90,422
EstimateMid-2024 estimate
Region / nationNorth East
Age profile
0 to 1719.5% · 17,644 people
18 to 247.0% · 6,304 people
25 to 3411.9% · 10,726 people
35 to 4918.2% · 16,468 people
50 to 6420.8% · 18,783 people
65 and over22.7% · 20,497 people
Population figures are mid-2024 estimates from the House of Commons Library. Project Open Gov calculates the estimated population shown above by summing the six published age-band counts. View population source ↗
Home ownership and renting
Housing tenure shows how households in this constituency described their home at the most recent census.
41,548 householdsCensus 2021
Home owners57.4% · 23,844 households
Private renters14.5% · 6,013 households
Social renters27.4% · 11,394 households
Other tenure0.7% · 297 households
“Other tenure” combines shared ownership and households recorded as living rent free.
Housing-tenure figures come from the most recent census: 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2022 in Scotland. View housing-tenure source ↗
Household composition
A broad view of household types in this constituency. Project Open Gov uses the four broad groups supplied by the Commons Library so the presentation remains consistent across the UK.
41,547 householdsCensus 2021
One-person households37.2% · 15,467 households
Families with dependent children25.1% · 10,426 households
Other single-family households35.5% · 14,748 households
Other household types2.2% · 906 households
Household-composition figures come from the Commons Library constituency dataset. The source uses census data and Project Open Gov displays its broad household groups rather than attempting to harmonise the detailed categories itself. View household-composition source ↗
Disability and day-to-day activities
The source records whether day-to-day activities are limited and uses separate person-level tables for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
88,773 people in the source baseCensus 2021Source comparison: England & Wales
Day-to-day activities limited a lot10.7% · 9,521 people
Day-to-day activities limited a little11.7% · 10,417 people
Not disabled under the Equality Act77.5% · 68,835 people
Comparison note: the workbook uses different source terminology across the UK: England & Wales uses “Disabled under the Equality Act”, while Scotland and Northern Ireland use “Disabled” / “Non-disabled”. Project Open Gov therefore preserves the source categories and does not present them as one single like-for-like UK legal definition.
Disability figures come from the Commons Library constituency workbook. This profile uses the person-level tables only; the workbook also contains separate household-level disability tables which are not used here. View disability source ↗
Petitions
Open UK Government and Parliament petitions that have reached at least 10,000 signatures nationally, ranked here by the number of signatures recorded in this constituency.
Petition signatures are not a poll and do not show what the constituency as a whole thinks. A person can also sign more than one petition.
Open petitionCloses 16 March 2027
Reduce the state pension age to 65 for all
Signatures in this constituency332
Signatures nationally113,134
Government response published · 100,000-signature debate threshold reached
Signature counts come from the official UK Government and Parliament petitions data and may change while a petition remains open. Browse official petitions ↗
Funding and local projects
National Lottery grants awarded to organisations recorded in this parliamentary constituency since 4 July 2024.
The constituency is based on the recipient organisation recorded in the source data. The funded activity may sometimes take place across a wider area.
Grants recorded102
Total awarded£4,962,641
Most recent awards
National Lottery grantAwarded 30 June 2026
Wild Families
Wellbeing Challenge CIC
£20,000
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Wellbeing Challenge CIC - Environment - National Lottery Awards for All England
National Lottery grantAwarded 22 June 2026
CF - 2026 Crowdfunder
Marsden Cricket Club
£4,000
Sport England · Sport
About this award
This project will support the club in developing their women's team and providing equipment to their junior sections. Funding will be used for equipment, training and coaching resources, community and inclusion initiatives and facility improvements to create a space for female players to change and store equipment. 100 participants will benefit. Funding is required for equipment and creation of space for women and girls.
National Lottery grantAwarded 18 June 2026
Resilience For All
South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau
£16,995
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
South Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau - Health & Wellbeing - National Lottery Awards for All England
National Lottery grantAwarded 17 June 2026
Resubmission MOTHEROTHER #2
Grant to individual
£49,889
Arts Council England · Arts
About this award
Resubmission MOTHEROTHER #2 - Not discipline specific - National Lottery Project Grants
National Lottery grantAwarded 11 June 2026
Happy Hubs
Churches Together in South Tyneside
£20,000
The National Lottery Community Fund · Charitable and Community including Health, Education and Environment
About this award
Churches Together in South Tyneside - Community - National Lottery Awards for All England
97 more awards are available.
Source: DCMS National Lottery Grants Database. The figures shown cover awards from 4 July 2024 to 1 July 2026. View official grants data ↗
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