POLL: How much does a pint of lager cost in your pub?
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average cost of a pint of draught lager in a pub was £3.30 in July 2013 but as of July this year was estimated to be £4.58, an increase of £1.28 (38%).
The biggest year-on-year (YOY) upswing occurred between July 2022 and 2023, when lager prices saw an 11% (49p) hike, up from £4.09, at a time when the sector was still suffering from the aftereffects of the pandemic and Brexit.
Survey
How much does a pint of lager cost in your pub?
£2 to £2.99
2%£3 to £3.99
16%£4 to £4.99
40%£5 to £5.99
32%£6 to £6.99
9%£7 to £7.99
1%£8 and over
0%
In addition, analysis of Government data by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) in May this year showed beer duty on a pint in the UK was more than Germany, Spain, Czechia, Portugal, Austria and Belgium all put together, at 54.2p per 5% ABV pint.
BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “A pint should be affordable for everyone but the last few years we’ve seen prices increase even though brewers and pubs are doing the best they can to absorb costs and protect customers."
Skyrocketing costs
She added: “The cost of everything in our supply chain is soaring around us, whether it’s key ingredients, energy or upcoming increases in duty, businesses are having to make tough decisions to remain viable.”
What’s more, research from Finder UK also revealed a pint of beer in the UK to be 127% more expensive than the worldwide average cost.
The financial experts compiled the figures using data from cost-of-living sites Expatistan and Numbeo to estimate the average prices of beer in the most populated cities in 166 countries.
Struggling sector
According to the survey, the cost of a pint in the UK was estimated to be £5.90 as of June this year, which is 127% higher and “significantly more expensive” than the global average of £2.60.
Finder UK head of communications and consumer advocate Matt Mckenna said: “Pubs are struggling with rising costs, and this has been passed on to consumers in the form of higher pint prices.
“Shrinking profit margins are certainly an issue for pubs but it is hard to imagine that many Brits will lose their love of heading to the pub for a pint after work or at the weekend.”
