Analysis of official data by The Morning Advertiser (The MA) earlier this week revealed pint prices increased by 2.9% between January 2024 and January 2025, from £4.69 to £4.83.
Though exclusive data from The MA last month showed the price of a draught pint of lager was higher than the estimations, standing at £5.08.
While operators have tried to mitigate the rising cost of doing business and avoid price rises for customers, many face no choice in order to stay open, the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) warned.
CAMRA chairman Ash Corbett-Collins told The Morning Advertiser It has become “far too predictable” to see the price of a pint increase each year.
Constant worry
He said: “Ever growing costs have been a constant worry for both publicans struggling to keep their venues open and their customers who are finding it harder to afford a pint.”
Based on data from pubs across the country, the official figures come as operators face further cost hikes with a number of bills, including ENICs, set to rise from 1 April.
Ahead of the Spring Statement next week, voices from across the sector have called for action to support the sector.
Corbett-Collins continued: “In the face of a gross business rates system and hikes in National Insurance Contributions, price increases are the only option to for our locals to stay afloat.
“For pubs to not only survive, but thrive, Governments in all four nations of the UK need to do more to support consumers, community pubs and breweries, including on making business rates systems fairer. ”
However, the data, from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showed while the price of a pint of lager continued to rise, the acceleration rate was slower when compared with the previous 12-month period.
Unwelcome news
Comparatively, the price of a pint of draught lager in pubs increased by 10.8% over the previous 12-months, from £4.23 in January 2023 to £4.69 the following January.
Draught bitter prices also decreased overall during this time, from £3.90 in January 2024 to £3.80 in January 2025 (2.5%), compared with a 9.2% hike, from £3.57 to £3.90, between January 2023 and January 2024.
The CAMRA chair added: “Despite the unwelcome news of yet more price rises, the latest ONS data does at least show that the increases are slowing down, which can offer a glimpse of hope for the future.
“The price increase of 2.9% this year is significantly lower than the 10.8% rise of the previous year, which is something we hope continues.”
