Number of Pubs Increase Slightly After Years of Decline

HOSPITALITY - The number of small pubs and bars in the UK has increased for the first time in more than 15 years. 

The net closure of pubs in the UK has been well documented by several organisations, including the British Beer and Pubs Association and the Campaign for Real Ale. Economies of ale: small pubs close as chains focus on big bars, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in November 2018, showed that turnover and employment in the sector were holding up, despite previously consistent pub and bar closures.

The latest ONS data show that the number of small pubs and bars (that is, those with fewer than 10 employees) increased by 85 (a 0.4% increase) in 2019. This follows more than 15 years of closures. The overall number of pubs and bars in the UK increased by 315 (a 0.8% increase) between 2018 and 2019, the first increase for a decade.

Figure 1: The number of pubs and bars of all sizes increased between 2018 and 2019

Number of public houses and bars by size, UK, 2001 to 2019

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