Local pubs can solve Britain's loneliness problem

The numbers are stark: one in four people face loneliness, according to the ONS. The consequences - for our health, our economy, and our communities - are also well documented.

But what we rarely talk about is one of the factors that make loneliness worse: when the local pub - often one of the only community hubs - closes its doors for good.

The British Beer and Pub Association’s latest polling confirms what many instinctively know: pubs are far more than places to buy a drink.

Nearly two-thirds of the public agree that pubs are vital in tackling loneliness and isolation - a view that rises to over 70% in parts of the country hit hardest by closures, such as the North of England.

But three in five people say they’ve seen a local pub close down. And one in three say they or someone they know has felt lonelier or more isolated as a direct result.

These figures represent something very tangible: the erosion of one of the last truly public spaces left in British life. Pubs provide a warm welcome, recognition, and relationships.

Whether it’s baby groups during the day, quiz nights in the evening, or simply offering a welcoming space for those feeling isolated, pubs quietly support every generation in the community.

For some, a friendly face behind the bar or a quick chat with someone who knows your name might be the only human contact they get all day.

Right now, pubs are facing unprecedented pressure. Since 2021, nearly 300 pubs have shut across the North of England alone. Scotland has lost 206. Wales 132. One pub is predicted to close every day in 2025.

These aren’t just businesses - they’re social lifelines. This latest polling shows the damage closures are causing.

Unless the government steps up at the upcoming Budget to ease the cost burden, we risk losing even more of these irreplaceable pillars of local life.

Our Long Live the Local campaign, calling for support for pubs in the shape of permanent business rates reform, lower beer duty, and action on the rising regulatory costs that are pushing many pubs past the tipping point, has been backed by nearly 250,000 people.

People know that when a pub closes, it’s not just another empty building - it’s another community left a little more isolated, and a little less connected. And that’s a cost none of us can afford.

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Emma McClarkin is chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association.

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