Birmingham has had the biggest number of pub closures since the turn of the millennium, according to official figures showing the nationwide scale of the decline of the local.
The Office for National Statistics said almost one in four UK pubs have closed in the decade since the financial crisis. Over a longer period, the number of pubs calling time has increased by more than 10,000 since 2001, with the total still in operation falling from 52,500 to 38,815 this year.
The figures provide the latest snapshot in the well-documented decline of the British pub, as a combination of shifting consumer habits, higher drinks prices and a squeeze on household finances have damaged the industry.
The demise, however has not been uniform, with the figures showing overall growth in the number of larger pubs, highlighting the rise of bigger commercial chains across the UK and a trend among pub companies to focus on larger establishments.
While the number of small pubs has almost halved from 38,830 to 22,840 since 2001, the number of medium and large ones has risen from 13,670 to 15,975.
The figures showed Birmingham had the biggest number of pub closures of any local authority, with 220 net pub losses since 2001. In contrast, Hackney, at the centre of a craft beer boom, had the biggest gain with 30 net openings.
Some of the greatest declines have come on the edges of big cities and in the commuter belt. Barking and Dagenham, Newham, and Luton have less than half the number of pubs they did in 2001, while towns in the north-west around Manchester, such as Burnley, Bolton and Rochdale, have also seen closures.
Although the number of pubs has dramatically fallen, the amount spent in those that are left has remained steady since the previous recession – after taking inflation into account – suggesting the remaining pubs and bars have soaked up the custom from those that have closed.
