A pub visit has a positive impact on wellbeing for more young people than a trip to the gym, new YouGov polling commissioned by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has found.
More than half (52%) of 18- to 24-year-olds polled say a pub visit with friends has a positive impact on their wellbeing, ahead of solo exercise (41%) and self-care (38%).
The pattern holds across the next generation, too. Almost half of 25- to 34-year-olds (49%) say the same, with pub socialising ranking ahead of the gym or solo exercise(44%) and self-care (43%) in their wellbeing pecking order.
The findings come as the Office for National Statistics identifies Gen Z as Britain’s loneliest age group, with 27% of 16- to 29-year-olds feeling lonely often, always, or some of the time.
More than a third of young pub-goers aged 18 to 24 (34%) visit specifically for activities like quizzes, live music, and sport. This compares to 22% of all pub-goers polled. Nearly half of young pub-goers polled (44%) say they have met new people at the pub.
“This data speaks for itself,” said Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA. “Young people are choosing the pub as the place where they feel less alone and more connected. The pub is providing social infrastructure that is impossible to replicate, and shows how vital they are for younger generations and our communities as a whole.
“But we cannot take it for granted, and every pub that closes takes away precious opportunities to build communities and fend off isolation with it. The government must act on permanent business rates reform, duty and regulatory costs, not just to protect an industry, but to protect the social fabric that millions of young people are depending on.
“We’d urge people to join the Long Live The Local campaign so they can get behind the Great British pub and call for change that will help our treasured institutions.”
Hannah Lawson, publican of The Wheatsheaf, in Ealing, London, said: “These findings don’t surprise me at all. Young people saying a pub visit contributes to their wellbeing — ahead of the gym, ahead of self-care — tells you something important about what this space actually is. You can find genuine community at your local, and that’s what we’ve always provided. That’s what young people are coming back for.
“In my pub, one of my favourite things to see is young people with friends and family, spending quality time together. As a young publican myself, I know the impact that socialising can have on your wellbeing, and I’m proud that my pub provides a warm and inviting atmosphere for that to happen.”
