More than 400 pubs in England and Wales have either shut down or been repurposed over the past year, taking the total number below 39,000 for the first time.

Commercial real estate firm Altus Group says 412 public houses were demolished or converted for alternative use in 2024, leaving only 38,989 in operation.

The UK’s brewing and hospitality sectors have long warned of mounting costs, including changes to the alcohol duty system and higher energy bills. Businesses also face further challenges in 2025, when employer national insurance contributions will rise, the National Living Wage is set to increase, and the discount on business rates will be reduced from 75% to 40%.

Alex Probyn, UK president of property tax at Altus Group, says: “Many publicans I speak to are extremely worried that this could be their last Christmas. Costs for employers are going up just as rates relief is being scaled back, so maintaining profitability is increasingly difficult.”

The leisure industry suffered a heavy blow during the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighted by a rapid decline in nightclubs, which fell from 1,700 a decade ago to just 787 by June 2024.

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Pub closures top 400 in England and Wales as total dips below 39,000