According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, Felling has a population of 7,299—51.5% of the population are female, slightly above the national average, while 48.5% are male. Only 2.3% of the population were from a black or other minority ethnic group (BME), as opposed to 9.1% of the national population. The average life expectancy is 71 years for men in Felling and 75 years for women. These compare unfavourably to borough averages of 76 and 81 years respectively. The proportion of lone parent households varies hugely across the area; in High Felling the figure is 11.5%, in Central Felling it is 12.2% but in North Felling the figure is 22.3%. The latter is the second highest figure in Gateshead and all compare with a borough average of 11.5%. A similar pattern emerges as regards households with dependent children; in Central and High Felling the proportions are low at 16.6% and 23.1%, while in North Felling the figure 34.8%. These compare to figures to 29.5% nationally and 28.4% in Gateshead. The Index of Multiple Deprivation, which divides England into 32,482 areas and measures quality of life to indicate deprivation, splits Felling into several areas and in 2010 listed North Felling, Old Fold, Sunderland Road and Falla Park in the top 10% of all deprived areas in England in 2012. In 2011 however, there was a massive population increase from 7,299 a decade earlier to 8,908. The ethnic minority population has also increased, with 7.7% of the ward being from an ethnic minority. Felling, like nearby Deckham, is a rapidly growing area with more and more people from other countries settling in the area. Transport Road The suburb is bisected principally by the A184. Built in 1959, the road is commonly referred to as the Felling By-pass, though it "is really nothing of the kind", as the road splits residential areas of Felling almost neatly in half. By road, Gateshead can be reached in around 10 minutes, and Newcastle upon Tyne in around 15 minutes. Until the building of the Felling By-pass, the principal road in the settlement was Sunderland Road. A former turnpike road and tram route, where civic and commercial buildings still stand as a testament to the road's past importance, Sunderland Road still remains an integral local distributor today. Rail Felling is served by the Tyne & Wear Metro, with the station located between Sunderland Road and Mulberry Street.