London. The British pub deaths continued in the first half of the year. Between January and June, a total of 305 pubs closed in England and Wales, or around 50 per month. This was determined by the property consultant Altus Group, citing government figures. Some pubs were demolished, some were converted into apartments, offices or even kindergartens. North-west England was particularly affected.
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The number of pubs has been declining for years. According to Altus, a total of 472 pubs closed between April 2023 and March 2024 alone. In England and Wales, there were still 39,096 pubs at the end of June.
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There are many reasons: high inflation drove up spending on energy and personnel, but consumers spent significantly less money. The industry has long been calling for lower trade and alcohol taxes. Instead, however, higher taxes are threatened in spring 2025 if the government does not extend expiring exemption rules.
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Pub owners also fear that the beer tax, which is already very high by international standards, could be increased. Government plans to extend the smoking ban in beer gardens are also causing owners to fear further revenue losses.
