Pub closures cause an increase in loneliness
The rise in pub closures has hit communities hard with the spike in loneliness on a par with peak pandemic levels. db asks what can be done to help the sector.
Research, gathered from new polling by the British Beer and Pubs Association (BBPA) has shown that two out of three (67%) people see pubs as “vital” in the fight against isolation.
According to the results, one in three (33%) revealed that they, or someone they know, have experienced increased loneliness as a direct result of losing their local pub.
The data highlighted how 60% are concerned about pub closures in their area, and 70% consider the pub “important” or “very important” for their local area’s social life.
Taking action
The BBPA is now urging the government to save the British pub sector by taking action on spiralling regulatory costs that effectively punish pubs. Eight pubs a week shut their doors permanently across the UK in the first six months of 2025, according to recent BBPA figures. This comes as the pub sector battles significant economic headwinds, including hikes to national insurance, minimum wage and business rates payments. In fact, official government data showed that 209 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses over the six months to June.
Speaking to the drinks business, BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “Pubs are so much more than places to buy a drink, they’re where people feel valued and connected. For many, especially those living alone or struggling with isolation, the pub is one of the vital spaces where someone knows their name and they have a chance to have a conversation. This is why government must listen to the Long Live the Local campaign that fights to keep these spaces open for generations to come.”
The trade association’s plea to the government follows on from the survey results highlighting that 40% of respondents have seen pubs close in their area, with the fact that they are not coming back now prompting calls for urgent support for each “cherished institution” to be saved in the next Budget.
With pubs struggling under a heavy tax and regulatory burden, more than 2,000 have closed since 2020, and one is predicted to close every day in 2025.
The BBPA’s Long Live the Local campaign said this underlined the urgent need for the government to use the Budget to deliver fairer taxes and action on rising costs to save each of these beloved institutions.
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Pubs are informal support networks
The survey shows a regional picture of where people view pubs as a solution to isolation, and closely reflects where closures have hit hardest. For instance, in the North of England, 71% of people agree that pubs are vital in tackling loneliness and isolation, underlining the role pubs play as informal support networks and community hubs. Looking to Wales, 64% feel the same, while in Scotland, 63% also back the idea that pubs are part of the solution to the UK’s loneliness crisis.
Ever since 2021, the BBPA has recorded a net closure of 291 pubs across the North West, North East and Yorkshire and The Humber. Wales has additionally seen the net closure of 132 pubs while Scotland has seen 206 closures.
According to the most recent Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures from October 2025, it was discovered that 26% of Brits report feeling lonely at least some of the time, a figure that has remained consistently high since records began in 2020, during the Covid pandemic.
A few years ago, a London pub went so far as to host Christmas for those spending the day alone. In years gone by, the tradition was held firm and the pub has even welcomed 154 visitors over Christmas Day – people who might otherwise not see or speak to anyone for the entire day, encouraging them to all celebrate together in the pub.
The local pub is a lifeline
McClarkin explained: “This polling confirms that for many, the local pub is a lifeline, not a luxury, and the loss of a pub can have a real and devastating impact. It’s made all the more concerning given our prediction that one pub will close every day this year, with heavy tax and regulatory costs often at the heart of why they’ve been forced to shut.”
Offering guidance over what needed to be done, McClarkin added: “The government must use this once in a generation Budget to reset and reform the unfair tax burden and costs, which would help pubs keep their doors open and continue to fend off loneliness, which is affecting so many.”
Rapidly rising levels of loneliness
Philip Howell, professor of historical and cultural geography at the University of Cambridge and author of the book Pub, said: “When pubs are ripped out of communities and neighbourhoods, the damage to social cohesion is incalculable. With rapidly rising levels of loneliness, we need pubs more than ever. As the survey suggests, the cost of standing by and watching pubs close will be measured in even greater isolation and the fracturing of our communities.”
Now, the BBPA is urging supporters to join Long Live the Local and email their MP before the Budget, calling for an overhaul of business rates, a duty cut in line with European averages and action on spiralling regulatory costs.
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