New data from the ONS suggests the number of pubs shutting may not be as dramatic as feared, at least for London.
Headlines were made earlier this year when the British Beer and Pub Association predicted pub closures across the country may add up to more than one a day. While the ONS figures lend this idea credence — across the UK, 295 closed between 2023 and 2024 — in London the figures appear much less bleak.
In fact, the picture here is comparatively encouraging for the capital’s drinkers. The data, taken from the Office for National Statistics’ Inter-departmental Business Register — and accurate up to March last year — suggest that between 2023 and 2024, the net number of pubs closing was 10. Over the past 10 years, that figure rises to just 90: in 2024, the ONS reports a total of 3,525 pubs across London. In 2014, that figure was 3,615.
The loss over 20 years is considerably more dramatic. Between 2004 and 2024, London has lost an estimated 930 pubs — but the majority of these closures came soon after the 2007 smoking ban. In the seven years leading up to the ban, 160 pubs closed. In the seven years afterwards, 680.
Certain parts of London are faring better than others. Indeed, in some boroughs, figures are up. Camden, for instance, had more pubs in 2024 (245) than at any time since 2013. Lambeth in 2024 can count 160 pubs, the highest number since 2009. Barking and Dagenham, despite only having a miserable number of pubs in 2024 — a mere 20 — improved significantly on 2023’s 15 (an increase of 33.33 per cent).
In fact, 11 boroughs saw rises in pub numbers (the aforementioned three plus Bromley, Croydon, Enfield, Hammersmith and Fulham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster), while nine saw no change at all (City of London, Ealing, Hackney, Harrow, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Lewisham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest).
“This shows it’s far from doom and gloom for the London pub scene. Eleven London boroughs saw their number of pubs increase in 2024, with some such as Westminster and Camden recording their highest numbers for over a decade,” said Sam Cullen, author of London's Lost Pubs and co-author of What's In A London Pub Name? “The first half of 2025 has also seen a handful of London pubs reopen, including the Blue Maid in Southwark and The Tankard in Kennington, while the historic LGBT pub The Black Cap is due to reopen by the end of the year.
“It is obviously very sad the data shows a small reduction in the total number of pubs but it is clear there is a real resilience to the London pub scene. That is in no small part due to the staff keeping those businesses going but also CAMRA and other community groups who do so much to keep pubs alive when their future is at risk.”
Londoners keen to drink up should head to Westminster, which has the most pubs of any borough (445), Camden (245), Islington (210) or perhaps the City of London which, despite being a square mile (or just a little over), has 145 pubs.
For more information, visit ons.gov.uk
