Overview
- BBPA data released Monday showed 161 pubs closed between January and March, a 26% rise on the same period last year.
- The trade body estimates roughly 2,400 jobs were lost in the quarter, with younger workers hit hardest.
- Pub operators cite rising wage bills, higher taxes and other regulatory costs for erasing profits even where sales remain steady.
- The Government introduced a 15% business‑rates discount in April with a two‑year freeze, yet trade groups want permanent rates reform and a formal review of excise duty.
- Wales was the only area to add pubs while Scotland recorded the largest losses, extending a decline that included 336 closures last year and more than 2,000 since 2020.