Moreover, two in five said they have seen pubs close in their area and more than half (56%) were concerned about sites shuttering, polling from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) showed.
This followed figures from the trade body, which found more than 2,000 pubs have closed since 2020 and one is predicted to shut every day in 2025.
Since 2021, the BBPA recorded a net closure of 291 pubs across the north west, north east and Yorkshire and The Humber while Wales saw 132 net closures and Scotland 206.
The recent consumer data also found 30% said they or someone they knew had experienced increased loneliness as a direct result of losing their local pub while almost three quarters (72%) considered the pub important to their local community’s social life.
Support required
BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said: “This polling confirms that for many, the local pub is a lifeline, not a luxury and the loss of a pub can have a real and devastating impact.
“It’s made all the more concerning given our prediction one pub will close every day this year, with heavy tax and regulatory costs often at the heart of why they’ve been forced to shut.”
She called on the Government to show support for the sector at the Budget next month (Wednesday 26 November).
“This Government must use this once-in-a-generation Budget to reset and reform the unfair tax burden and costs, which would help pubs keep their doors open and continue to fend off loneliness, which is affecting so many.”
University of Cambridge historical and cultural geography professor and author of the book Pub Philip Howell emphasised the impact of closures on their local areas.
Incalculable damage
He said: “When pubs are ripped out of communities and neighbourhoods, the damage to social cohesion is incalculable.
“With rapidly rising levels of loneliness, we need pubs more than ever. As the survey suggests, the cost of standing by and watching pubs close will be measured in even greater isolation and the fracturing of our communities.”
This comes after not-for-profit organisation Pub is The Hub found for every £1 spent investing in the provision of services and activities in the pub, an average of £8.28 of social value is created.
Furthermore, it was recently revealed the Department of Business and Trade was providing £440,000 worth of funding to Pub is The Hub to help the organisation deliver projects such as creating community cafés, village stores and play areas, aiming to bring residents and families together.
