Pubs and bars have been a tradition in the UK for centuries. They can historically be traced back to Roman taverns and Anglo-Saxon alehouses, but it’s not until the early 19th century that we started to see the pubs we know and love today. But pubs and bars have been struggling over the last two decades and their numbers have been steadily declining. From 2000 to 2018 the numbers of pubs dropped by 22 per cent. Part of the reason behind this fall was the smoking ban that was introduced in 2007 coupled with the 2008 recession. But a more recent problem for pubs and bars is the rise in 16 to 24-year olds choosing not to drink.
Many people can stand all night in a pub or bar with their plastic glasses chatting, dancing, or watching sports. Pubs and bars are still popular and a focus point for most people’s nights out, and weekends. They are still some of the most important places for community engagement and for people coming together. So, we have conducted research to see which area of the UK is the most densely populated for pubs and bars, and which region is searching the most for pubs and bars.
Who has the most?
Obviously because they have the biggest population, London comes out on top for the number of pubs and bars they have. With a population of 8,907,918, they have 4,366 pubs and bars, which is one pub for every 2,040 residents. But we are going to look at the places outside of London with large numbers compared to their population.
After London, Leeds came out on top for the number of pubs and bars they have at 594 for a population of 503,388 – this is a pub for every 847 people. It’s safe to say the people of Leeds must be happy with that.
Gloucester has the lowest amount of pubs and bars open at only 24, and they don’t have the lowest population. The lowest population on our study is Blackburn with only has 119,707 residents with 122 pubs, working out as a pub for every 981 residents.
The UK’s second biggest city Birmingham with a population of 1,153,717 only has 475 pubs and bars. So, you’ll be fighting for a seat in Birmingham. Another surprise is Newcastle, which known for its lively nights out, only comes in at 13th with only 253 pubs and bars open, getting beaten by places such as Stoke-on-Trent and Brighton who have smaller populations than Newcastle.
Who’s planning to go out?
We also researched the average monthly searches for different phrases relating to pubs and bars and this is what we found.
Manchester comes out on top for wanting to party most, as their average searches for nightclubs are second-highest after London, at 1,600 every month.
Surprisingly, Belfast is not the top place for searches for Irish bars, they are tied with Edinburgh at 260 searches.
Edinburgh is only second to London in highest average monthly searches for pubs and bars. This could be due to the number of tourists that visit Edinburgh, as going to a pub is the third most popular activity for tourists.
We’ve found out that Oxford loves their wine, as they are third for average monthly searches for wine bars just after London and Edinburgh. Enjoy your vino, Oxford!
You’d expect that the places down south with slightly warmer weather would be searching for pub gardens. But unexpectantly and even with the often grim weather up north, Edinburgh and Glasgow are second and third for monthly searches for beer gardens.
Changes in pubs and bars
The way pubs and bars are operating have also changed. There is now an increased demand for food as serving staff now outnumber bar staff.
There is some hope for the beverages industry, as in some areas the number of pubs is starting to rise again. In the North East of England, between 2018 and 2019 the numbers of pubs and bars went up five per cent.
Who owns the pubs has changed. In the early 1990s it was mostly breweries, but now the number of independents has grown in ownership. This could be as some people are trying to take on the job of running unused pubs or taking up the challenge of saving their own local which might be in need of new owners.
Even centuries ago, pubs were important to people as 17th century diarist Samuel Pepys described the pub as “the heart of England.” We can see this after the initial lockdown period as people are eager to get back to pubs and bars after having to create their own drinks at home – let’s hope we will all be able to meet in a pub or bar soon.
Sources
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8591/CBP-8591.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pub#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20pubs%20can,today%2C%20first%20began%20to%20appear.
https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2020/06/29/How-many-pubs-are-there-in-England-and-Wales
FAQs
According to data collected by Liberty Games, Portsmouth is actually the UK city with the most pubs per square mile. The seaside destination, which is home to the Royal Navy and was the birthplace of Charles Dickens, has a total of 12 pubs per square mile.
Which country has the most pubs and bars? ›
The UK has the highest number of pubs in the world, followed by Japan, Germany, Spain and the United States.
How many bars and pubs are there in the UK? ›
According to a report by Statista, there were approximately 46,800 pubs in the UK back in 2020. You might think that's a lot of pubs – and it is!
How many pubs and bars are there in the UK in 2018? ›
Number of pubs in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2000 to 2020 (in 1,000s)
| Characteristic | Number of pubs in thousands |
|---|
| 2020 | 46.8 |
| 2019 | 47.2 |
| 2018 | 47.6 |
| 2017 | 48.35 |
9 more rowsSep 7, 2023
According to a 2023 analysis, Guadalajara in Mexico ranked as the city with the highest number of bars per 100,000 inhabitants that year, with a total of 35.3.
Who owns the most pubs in the UK? ›
Stonegate Pub Company is the largest pub company in the UK, operating around 4,800 managed, leased and tenanted pubs. It is owned by TDR Capital. The head office is based in Solihull, England, and the company is registered in the Cayman Islands.
Which city has highest number of pubs in world? ›
Paris accounted for the highest number of bars globally, with a total of 4,316 bars in 2018.
Why are there so many pubs in the UK? ›
Public Houses are licensed to sell alcohol, and they originated from houses, like everyone lived in, but they could sell alcohol to anyone who wanted to buy. So a lot of people wanted to make extra money from making and selling their own beer to anyone who wanted.
What state has the most bars and taverns? ›
New York (5,756 businesses), California (5,519 businesses) and Wisconsin (4,961 businesses) are the States with the most number of Bars & Nightclubs businesses in the US.
Which city in Europe has the most bars? ›
Six European cities make it to the top 10, offering travelers an array of choices, with Bologna, Italy taking the European top spot. Surprisingly, two northern UK cities, Leeds and Liverpool, outshine their larger counterparts, proving that great bar scenes can be found in unexpected places.
The Red Lion is the king of pub names
This is the most common pub name in the UK with the FSA data showing over 500 venues adopting the moniker. Online pub guide Pubs Galore also lists it as the number one title. There's some contention as to how the name came to be.
What are pubs in the UK? ›
A pub (short for public house) is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises.
Why are bars called pubs in the UK? ›
Fun fact: traditional British ale was brewed without hops. That's where the name pub or public house comes from. It differentiates a public dwelling from a private one by the sale of alcohol. The brewer would hang a bush above the door to identify itself as a drinking establishment open to the public, or a pub.
Where has the most pubs in the UK? ›
Liberty Games analysed the addresses of more than 50,000 boozers and geographical data for over 350 boroughs to see which parts of Britain have the "highest pub density". Liverpool and Brighton and Hove came out with the most - a whopping 11 pubs per square mile.
How many pubs and restaurants are there in the UK? ›
As of December 2023, there were approximately 36 thousand licensed food-led premises and approximately 54 thousand drink-led premises in Great Britain. Both types of establishments experienced a drop in units over the previous year.
Are there more pubs in the UK than churches? ›
latest figures show that there is no shortage of churches in the UK to celebrate one of the most important festivals in the Christian calendars. In fact, the UK now has more churches than pubs, new data published by the National Churches Trust shows.
Which city in the US drinks the most? ›
Milwaukee and Wisconsin are yet again topping the lists for alcoholism in the U.S. According to a survey by InsiderMonkey, Milwaukee has an excessive drinking rate of 24.6%, the highest among cities in the United States.
Where is the highest bar in the world? ›
Which city has the highest rooftop bar in the world? Hong Kong is home to the highest rooftop bar in the world. OZONE Rooftop Bar is situated 1608ft in the sky on the 118th floor of the ICC Tower, with unobstructed views of Hong Kong's most famous landmarks and cityscape.
Where is the number one bar in the world? ›
Barcelona bar tops list. Sips, Barcelona is crowned the world's best bar in 2023.
What town has 365 pubs? ›
Norwich, Norfolk
Legend has it that Norwich possesses 365 pubs – one for each day of the year – along with 52 churches, so you can repent your over-indulgence in a different one every Sunday.
J D Wetherspoon plc (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford. It operates the sub-brand of Lloyds No.1 bars, and 56 Wetherspoon hotels.
Where in London has the most bars? ›
in 2018 Westminster was home to 430 of London's 3,540 pubs – the highest share of any borough (12.2 per cent). The boroughs with the next highest pub numbers were Camden with 230 pubs (6.5 per cent) and Islington, which had 215 pubs (6.1 per cent) • Overall, 62.7 per cent of pubs were in Inner London boroughs.
