Pubs vanished at a rate of two a day during the first six months of the year, as the buildings were repurposed or demolished in the midst of hospitality sector struggles.
According to analyst Altus Group (TSX:AIF), some 383 pubs disappeared during the period, leaving a total of 39,404 in England and Wales.
This almost matched the number of sites that disappeared over the course of 2022, when a total of 386 pubs vanished.
Altus called on the government to avoid hitting the sector with increased tax rates next year as a result, pointing to the already-higher costs being faced.
“With energy costs up 80% year-on-year in a low-growth, high-inflation and high-interest rates environment, the last thing pubs need is an average business rates hike,” Altus property tax president Alex Probyn said.
Given rates will no longer be discounted from April and are due to climb in line with inflation - potentially adding as much as 6% on bills next year - Probyn forecast pubs would pay £12,385 extra on average in 2024.
Per region, Wales was the worst hit in the first half of this year, losing a total of 56 pubs for good.
London and north west England also suffered, with 46 sites disappearing in each respectively.
Altus urged chancellor Jeremy Hunt to intervene on anticipated rate hikes next year, arguing the number of pubs disappearing would only increase as costs rise.