Over 1,000 pubs have closed in South East England since 2010

A study by sports betting and statistics website The Punters Page analysed Office for National Statistics data and found the South East recorded the fifth-largest decline of any region or nation in Great Britain.

According to the research, the number of pubs and bars across the South East fell from 6,195 in 2010 to 5,120 in 2025, a drop of 17.4 per cent and the equivalent of 1,075 venues disappearing from the region.

Numbers break down

• Britain: Down 15.3 per cent (43,715 pubs in 2010 to 37,045 in 2025)
• South East: Down 17.4 per cent (6,195 to 5,120)
• Buckinghamshire: Down 14.7 per cent (340 to 290)
• Berkshire: Down 20.2 per cent (445 to 355)
• Oxfordshire: Down 16.7 per cent (480 to 400)
• Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire combined: Around 220 pubs lost since 2010

A table showing the pubs which have been lost since 2010 (Image: JournoResearch/ONS)

The findings come as Britain as a whole has lost 6,670 pubs and bars since 2010, with Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire collectively losing around 220 venues during the same period.

Across the three counties, Berkshire recorded the biggest decline, with pub numbers falling by 20.2 per cent.

Oxfordshire followed with a 16.7 per cent reduction, while Buckinghamshire saw numbers drop by 14.7 per cent.

While the figures are significant, several parts of Britain have experienced even steeper declines.

Regions and nations ranked by pub losses

The table shows the decline of pubs in the country (Image: JournoResearch/ONS)

Wales recorded the largest percentage fall of any nation or region, losing 25.2 per cent of its pubs since 2010, while Scotland ranked second with a decline of 20.2 per cent.

The study also identified some of the local authority areas hardest hit by pub closures.

East Ayrshire in Scotland and South Holland in Lincolnshire each lost half of their pubs between 2010 and 2025, representing the largest percentage declines in Great Britain.

Closer to home, Woking was identified as one of the worst-hit councils in the South East, losing 40 per cent of its pubs.

Gosport and Spelthorne each recorded falls of 36.4 per cent.

The Pheasant pub in High Wycombe, which closed in 2020 after first opening in the 1800s, was demolished in the summer (Image: NQ)

Not every area experienced decline, however.

The research found pub numbers increased in 26 of Britain's 318 councils, with Hackney recording the strongest growth. Its pub count rose from 120 to 225 between 2010 and 2025, an increase of 87.5 per cent.

James Byrne, head of content at The Punters Page, said: "The local has long been where people gather to watch the football, the racing and the big fights together, and every closure takes that shared room away from a town or village.

The Chiltern Taps in High Wycombe remains shut after closing several years ago (Image: NQ)

"If your area still has a pub, the best way to keep it is to use it, from match days to quiz nights, as a busy pub is far harder to close than a quiet one."

The study analysed Office for National Statistics pub and bar counts across 318 councils in Great Britain, comparing 2025 figures against a 2010 baseline.