According to new research, there are now fewer than 40,000 pubs, the lowest number on record.
According to research, there are 7,000 fewer pubs in England and Wales than there were a decade ago.
According to real estate consultants Altus Group, their total number fell below 40,000 in the first half of 2022, the lowest number ever.
The analysis indicated that pubs have suffered setbacks in recent years due to the coronavirus pandemic, which forced them to close, and now due to rising costs.
“While pubs demonstrated remarkable resilience during the pandemic, they now face new headwinds in the form of rising energy costs, inflationary pressures, and tax increases,” said Robert Hayton, president of Altus Group in the United Kingdom.
In England and Wales, approximately 200 pubs disappeared between the end of last year and the end of this month.
In the West Midlands, where 28 pubs were lost in the past six months, the decline was the greatest.
This was followed by the loss of 24 lives in London and the East of England.
According to research from the British Beer and Pub Association, British Institute of Innkeeping, and UKHospitality, only 37 percent of hospitality businesses are profitable due to rising expenses.
The chief executive officer of the British Beer and Pub Association, Emma McClarkin, stated: “When pubs are forced to close, the local community suffers a tremendous loss, and these numbers paint a depressing picture of how pubs are being lost in villages, towns, and cities across the nation.
“As a sector, we have just endured the most difficult two years in recent memory, and we now face the challenge of extremely rising costs, with only one-third of hospitality businesses being profitable at present.
We must receive relief to alleviate these pressures; otherwise, we risk losing more pubs each year.
Recent reports indicate that the rail and Tube strikes are also affecting pub sales.
Clive Watson, the founder of City Pub Group in London, estimated that he may have lost up to 25 percent of normal sales in June due to the impact of strikes on social outings.
