Data released by the British Beer & Pubs Association (BBPA) reveal that when pubs close there is a significant rise in loneliness, which is now on a par with peak pandemic levels of isolation.
Their research found the one-in-three people become lonelier after losing their local and with more than 2,000 pubs having closed since 2020 – with over 360 predicted to close next year – the situation is only likely to be compounded.
The BBPA warns the on-going losses to this sector could cause ‘incalculable’ social damage unless the government acts in the forthcoming Budget.
The key findings:
• 67% of those interviewed see pubs as vital for tackling loneliness and isolation
• 30% say they or someone they know has experienced increased loneliness as a direct result of losing their local
• 56% are concerned about pub closures in their area
• 72% consider the pub important to their local community’s social life
With pubs struggling under increasingly heavy tax and regulatory burdens, the British Beer & Pub Association’s launched a campaign, Long Live The Local, which is highlighting the urgent need for the government to use the Budget to deliver fairer taxes and reduce running costs to help save these beloved institutions.
Whilst the survey found regional variations of how pubs are perceived in relation to loneliness and isolation, the overarching sentiment was broadly consistent.
In the North of England 71% agreed that pubs are vital to help reduce loneliness; in Wales the figure was 64% and 63% of those interviewed in Scotland were of the same opinion.
According to the most recent Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures from October 2025, 26% of Britons reported feeling lonely at least some of the time, a figure that has remained consistently high since the Covid pandemic of 2020.
Commenting on these findings, Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “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.
“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.”
Philip Howell, Professor of Historical and Cultural Geography at the University of Cambridge, and author of the book ‘Pub’, agreed with the research findings: “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.”
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.
At Hand Crafted Drinks Magazine we would endorse the aims of the BBPA’s campaign and would also call on the government to reduce the cost burden of a sector that remains pivotal to the economy (contributing £93 billion annually*) and an increasingly important role for the emotional wellbeing of countless commutes across the country.
*Figure from UK Hospitality
Research Methodology
The online survey of 2,000 UK adults aged over 18 was conducted by Savanta between 25 and 28 July 2025, and weighted by gender, age, region and socio-economic group.
Supporting Data: Pub is the Hub report
A September 2025 report from Pub is the Hub, the not-for-profit organisation that helps pubs to diversify and provide essential local services and activities, called ‘Pub is The Hub: Social Value’ has established that for every £1 spent investing in the provision of services and activities in the pub an average of £8.28 of social value is created.
It confirms that pubs offer social value that supports community cohesion, job security, well-being, increased social interaction and resilient communities. The report also reveals that pubs help people to overcome social isolation and replace the loss of services in rural and deprived areas.
About the BBPA
Established in 1904, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is the UK’s leading trade association that represents almost half of the UK’s pubs and breweries, with its members brewing over 90% of British beer and owning over 20,000 pubs.
BBPA’s mission is to support its members, from family-run regional brewers to international pub companies, helping them to thrive and serve their communities across the country by providing jobs, community wellbeing, pride of place, investment and economic value.
The Association is responsible for a number of notable campaigns, including its ‘Challenge 25’ campaign, which was rolled out across the country to prevent underage drinking.
About Long Live The Local campaign
The BBPA’s Long Live The Local campaign seeks to raise awareness of the social and economic benefits of pubs and breweries across the UK and the challenges they are currently facing.
Long Live The Local is demanding that the government recognises the contribution that pubs make to this country and has three simple asks to reduce the soaring cost of doing business:
• Swift delivery of permanent and meaningful business rate reforms
• Reduce beer duty to the European average
• Take steps to mitigate huge regulatory cost increases currently facing pubs and brewers