The closure of pubs is accelerating at an alarming rate, according to new research, with approximately 80 pubs shutting down each month during the first quarter of
2024. This figure marks a stark increase from the same period last year, when 51 pubs per month closed their doors permanently, as reported by commercial real estate intelligence firm Altus Group.
In total, 470 pubs ceased operations during the 2023/24 financial year, with Wales and the North West of England experiencing the highest numbers of closures at 73 and 72 pubs respectively.
As of the end of the first quarter of 2024, the total number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and available for lease, dwindled to 39,162.
In response to this concerning trend, the UK’s largest pub groups and breweries have penned an open letter to the leaders of the three main political parties. They are urging for a reduction in beer duty and reforms to business rates in order to support the struggling pub industry. Photo by Keith Evans, Wikimedia commons.