The price of a pint in Britain has jumped by 36% since England fans were last cheering at a World Cup, new figures suggest.
According to the BBC, the cost of beer at the bar has climbed sharply since the Qatar tournament in late 2022, leaving drinkers paying considerably more for the same round. Industry data points to the average pint in the UK now sitting comfortably above £4.80, with many London pubs charging upwards of £7 for a draught lager.
Brewers point to a steep rise in energy bills as one of the biggest drivers. Heating the mash, running fermentation tanks and cooling beer all lean heavily on gas and electricity, and wholesale prices remain well above pre-2022 levels even after recent falls.
The harvest has not helped either. Several patchy seasons for barley and hops, battered by wet British summers and dry European heatwaves, have pushed up the cost of the raw ingredients that go into every glass. Mirror coverage this week also reported that UK barley planting has dropped to its lowest level since 2010, as more drinkers cut back.
Pubs themselves are under fresh cost pressure. Higher wages following rises to the National Living Wage, jumps in business rates, and a duty system that taxes stronger beers more heavily have all squeezed already thin margins for landlords trying to hold prices down.
Trade groups warn the strain is showing on the high street. The British Beer and Pub Association has repeatedly flagged that pubs are still closing across the country, with rural village locals and traditional community boozers among the hardest hit.
The way Britons drink has shifted too. Younger customers are buying fewer rounds, the rise of low and no-alcohol alternatives is eating into wet sales, and stubborn inflation has trimmed how much spare cash households can spend on a night out.
With the 2026 World Cup kicking off this summer across the United States, Canada and Mexico, landlords are bracing for a busy run of late-night fixtures. Whether punters will swallow yet another round of price rises by the time the next tournament comes around is the big question behind the bar.