Wales Councils Ranked By Percentage Of Pubs Lost Since 2010

• Ceredigion’s pub count fell from 100 in 2010 to 65 in 2025.
• Wales has 2,035 pubs and bars, 685 fewer than in 2010 and a fall of 25.2%.
• Conwy has the same number of pubs as in 2010, the best record in Wales.

New research has ranked 20 councils in Wales by the percentage of pubs lost since 2010.

The study, by sports betting & stats site The Punters Page, analysed Office for National Statistics counts of pubs and bars in 318 councils across Great Britain between 2010 and 2025.

How the 20 councils in Wales compare

Ceredigion has lost 35.0% of its pubs since 2010, the biggest percentage fall in Wales. Its pub count fell from 100 to 65 over the period.

Wrexham ranks second in Wales, having lost 34.8% of its pubs, and Monmouthshire and Torfaen are joint third, having each lost 33.3% of their pubs.

Across Wales, the pub count fell from 2,720 in 2010 to 2,035 in 2025, a fall of 25.2%.

Conwy comes last in Wales, with the same number of pubs in 2025 as in 2010.

None of the 20 councils in Wales has more pubs than in 2010.

All 20 councils in Wales by percentage of pubs lost since 2010:

National rank	Rank in area	Council	Change in pubs	Pubs in 2010	Pubs in 2025
9	1	Ceredigion	-35.0%	100	65
10	2	Wrexham	-34.8%	115	75
13	3	Monmouthshire	-33.3%	120	80
13	3	Torfaen	-33.3%	60	40
15	4	Pembrokeshire	-32.5%	200	135
15	4	Powys	-32.5%	200	135
21	5	Rhondda Cynon Taf	-30.6%	180	125
23	6	Carmarthenshire	-29.7%	185	130
24	7	Neath Port Talbot	-29.4%	85	60
32	8	Flintshire	-26.9%	130	95
34	9	Newport	-26.3%	95	70
36	10	Denbighshire	-25.0%	100	75
44	11	Caerphilly	-23.1%	130	100
45	12	Vale of Glamorgan	-22.7%	110	85
47	13	Swansea	-22.5%	200	155
60	14	Bridgend	-19.0%	105	85
63	15	Gwynedd	-18.5%	135	110
84	16	Isle of Anglesey	-13.3%	75	65
106	17	Cardiff	-7.1%	210	195
120	18	Conwy	0.0%	100	100

Note: the Office for National Statistics rounds each council’s pub count to the nearest five, so the order of Ceredigion, Wrexham, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot could change with exact counts.

How Wales compares with the rest of Britain

Wales ranks first of Britain‘s 11 regions and nations, having lost 25.2% of its pubs since 2010.

East Ayrshire and South Holland jointly top the national ranking after each losing 50.0% of their pubs, and Hackney in London comes last, having grown its pub count by 87.5%.

Two of the councils ranked in Britain‘s top 10 for the percentage of pubs lost since 2010 are in Wales.

Top 10 councils in Great Britain by percentage of pubs lost since 2010:

National rank	Council	Region or nation	Nation	Change in pubs	Pubs in 2010	Pubs in 2025
1	East Ayrshire	Scotland	Scotland	-50.0%	80	40
1	South Holland	East Midlands	England	-50.0%	70	35
2	South Ayrshire	Scotland	Scotland	-44.4%	90	50
3	Halton	North West	England	-43.8%	80	45
4	Luton	East of England	England	-42.9%	70	40
5	Scottish Borders	Scotland	Scotland	-40.0%	75	45
5	Woking	South East	England	-40.0%	50	30
6	Gosport	South East	England	-36.4%	55	35
6	Moray	Scotland	Scotland	-36.4%	55	35
6	Spelthorne	South East	England	-36.4%	55	35
7	Cannock Chase	West Midlands	England	-35.7%	70	45
8	West Lothian	Scotland	Scotland	-35.3%	85	55
9	Ceredigion	Wales	Wales	-35.0%	100	65
10	Wrexham	Wales	Wales	-34.8%	115	75

Note: the Office for National Statistics rounds each council’s pub count to the nearest five, so the order of East Ayrshire, South Holland, South Ayrshire, Halton, Luton and Woking could change with exact counts.

James Byrne, Head of Content at The Punters Page, commented on the findings:

“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. 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.”