There has been a 51% increase in the number of pubs that have closed in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year across England and Wales. A total of 239 pubs have closed or been converted to other uses in the region.
It is still a small number of closures given the total – there were 39,401 pubs in England and Wales at the end of 2023, and there are now 39,162 – but the rate of closure continues to accelerate.
In addition to the higher cost of doing business, inflation and changing consumer habits, the region has also seen a tax increase of 49% during the last 14 years.
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