{"version":"1","article":{"id":"england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026","slug":"england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026","language":"en","url":"https://haberpaper.com/en/news/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026?lang=en","title":"England and Wales had over 227,000 premises alcohol licences at end-March 2026","summary":"Home Office figures published on 1 October estimate 968,400 personal licences, 227,300 premises licences and 12,500 club certificates. The release uses estimates for missing local returns and warns that licences do not equal active businesses.","category":"economy","region":"world","topics":[],"published_at":"2026-10-04T13:00:06+03:00","modified_at":"2026-10-04T13:00:06+03:00","publication_basis":"publication-record","event_period":"2026-03-31","event_period_basis":"event-or-reference-period","sources":[{"name":"UK Home Office, Alcohol licensing, England and Wales, April 2025 to March 2026","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026","publishedAt":"2026-10-01","checkedAt":"2026-10-04"},{"name":"UK Home Office, Alcohol licensing data tables, April 2025 to March 2026","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026","checkedAt":"2026-10-04"},{"name":"UK Home Office, licensing statistics user guide","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-alcohol-and-late-night-refreshment-licensing-statistics","checkedAt":"2026-10-04"}],"translations":[{"language":"tr","url":"https://haberpaper.com/tr/news/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026?lang=tr"},{"language":"en","url":"https://haberpaper.com/en/news/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026?lang=en"},{"language":"ar","url":"https://haberpaper.com/ar/news/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026?lang=ar"},{"language":"fr","url":"https://haberpaper.com/fr/news/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026?lang=fr"},{"language":"es","url":"https://haberpaper.com/es/news/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026","api_url":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026?lang=es"}],"data_types":["metrics"],"data":{"version":1,"blocks":[{"id":"licence-counts","type":"metrics","title":{"tr":"Lisans ve izin sayıları, 31 Mart 2026","en":"Licence and authorisation counts, 31 March 2026","ar":"أعداد التراخيص والأذونات في 31 مارس 2026","fr":"Nombre de licences et autorisations au 31 mars 2026","es":"Recuento de licencias y autorizaciones a 31 de marzo de 2026"},"description":{"tr":"İngiltere ve Galler'deki Home Office yıllık lisans istatistiklerinin başlıca stok tahminleri.","en":"Headline stock estimates from the Home Office annual alcohol-licensing statistics for England and Wales.","ar":"التقديرات الرئيسية للمخزون في إحصاءات التراخيص السنوية لوزارة الداخلية في إنجلترا وويلز.","fr":"Estimations principales du stock dans les statistiques annuelles du Home Office pour l’Angleterre et le pays de Galles.","es":"Estimaciones principales de existencias en las estadísticas anuales del Home Office para Inglaterra y Gales."},"methodology":{"tr":"Sayılar yerel lisans otoritelerinin idari bildirimlerine dayanır; yanıt vermeyen dört otorite ve belirli eksik kategoriler için tahminler dahil edilir. Ruhsat sayısı faal işletme sayısı değildir; bazı yıllar veri toplanmamıştır.","en":"Counts are based on licensing-authority administrative returns and include estimates for four non-responding authorities and specific missing categories. Licences do not equal active businesses; data were not collected in some years.","ar":"تعتمد الأعداد على السجلات الإدارية لسلطات الترخيص وتشمل تقديرات لأربع سلطات لم ترد وفئات مفقودة محددة. ولا يساوي عدد التراخيص عدد المنشآت النشطة؛ ولم تُجمع بيانات في بعض السنوات.","fr":"Les nombres reposent sur les déclarations administratives des autorités de délivrance et incluent des estimations pour quatre autorités sans réponse et certaines catégories manquantes. Les licences ne correspondent pas aux entreprises actives ; certaines années ne sont pas couvertes.","es":"Los recuentos se basan en declaraciones administrativas de autoridades de licencias e incluyen estimaciones para cuatro autoridades sin respuesta y ciertas categorías faltantes. Las licencias no equivalen a negocios activos; algunos años no se recopilaron datos."},"sourceUrls":["https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026","https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026","https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-alcohol-and-late-night-refreshment-licensing-statistics"],"updatedAt":"2026-10-04T06:05:35+03:00","items":[{"label":{"tr":"Bireysel ruhsatlar (tahmin)","en":"Personal licences (estimate)","ar":"التراخيص الشخصية (تقدير)","fr":"Licences personnelles (estimation)","es":"Licencias personales (estimación)"},"value":968400,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"estimate","measure":{"id":"personal-alcohol-licences","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"stock","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"İşyeri ruhsatları (tahmin)","en":"Premises licences (estimate)","ar":"تراخيص المقرات (تقدير)","fr":"Licences d’établissement (estimation)","es":"Licencias de locales (estimación)"},"value":227300,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"estimate","measure":{"id":"premises-alcohol-licences","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"stock","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Kulüp işyeri sertifikaları (tahmin)","en":"Club premises certificates (estimate)","ar":"شهادات مقرات الأندية (تقدير)","fr":"Certificats d’établissement de club (estimation)","es":"Certificados de locales de clubes (estimación)"},"value":12500,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"estimate","measure":{"id":"club-premises-certificates","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"stock","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"24 saat alkol ruhsatlı işyerleri (tahmin)","en":"Premises with 24-hour alcohol licences (estimate)","ar":"مقرات بترخيص كحول على مدار 24 ساعة (تقدير)","fr":"Établissements titulaires d’une licence alcool 24 heures sur 24 (estimation)","es":"Locales con licencia de alcohol de 24 horas (estimación)"},"value":10600,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"estimate","measure":{"id":"premises-24-hour-alcohol-licences","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"stock","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Kümülatif etki alanları","en":"Cumulative impact areas","ar":"مناطق الأثر التراكمي","fr":"Zones d’impact cumulatif","es":"Zonas de impacto acumulativo"},"value":184,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"cumulative-impact-areas","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"stock","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Kümülatif etki alanı uygulayan otoriteler","en":"Authorities with cumulative impact areas","ar":"سلطات تطبق مناطق الأثر التراكمي","fr":"Autorités ayant des zones d’impact cumulatif","es":"Autoridades con zonas de impacto acumulativo"},"value":71,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"authorities-with-cumulative-impact-areas","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"stock","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Gece geç saat vergisi uygulayan otoriteler","en":"Authorities with a late-night levy","ar":"سلطات تطبق رسم الأنشطة الليلية المتأخرة","fr":"Autorités appliquant une taxe nocturne","es":"Autoridades con gravamen nocturno"},"value":9,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"authorities-with-late-night-levy","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"stock","periodRole":"reference-period"}}]},{"id":"annual-licensing-activity","type":"metrics","title":{"tr":"Yıllık lisanslama işlemleri, Mart 2026’da biten yıl","en":"Annual licensing activity, year ending March 2026","ar":"نشاط الترخيص السنوي للسنة المنتهية في مارس 2026","fr":"Activité annuelle de délivrance des licences, exercice clos en mars 2026","es":"Actividad anual de licencias, año terminado en marzo de 2026"},"description":{"tr":"Yıl içinde bildirilen etkinlikler ve ruhsat incelemeleri; bazı başlıklar tahmin, inceleme alt toplamı ise tahminsizdir.","en":"Events and licence reviews reported during the year; some headline counts are estimates, while the review sub-count excludes missing-data estimates.","ar":"إخطارات الفعاليات ومراجعات التراخيص خلال السنة؛ بعض الأعداد الرئيسية تقديرية، بينما يستبعد عدد المراجعات الفرعي تقدير البيانات المفقودة.","fr":"Événements et examens déclarés durant l’année ; certains totaux sont estimés, tandis que le sous-total des examens exclut les estimations pour données manquantes.","es":"Avisos y revisiones durante el año; algunas cifras principales son estimaciones, mientras que el subconjunto de revisiones excluye estimaciones por datos faltantes."},"methodology":{"tr":"Akışlar yıl sonu 31 Mart 2026 dönemini kapsar. Geçici etkinlik bildirimleri ve toplam inceleme sayısı tahmindir; 542 tamamlanmış inceleme ve neden dökümleri eksik yanıtlar için tahmin eklenmeyen gözlemlerdir. Bir incelemede birden çok neden bulunabilir.","en":"Flows cover the year ending 31 March 2026. Temporary event notices and the headline review total are estimates; 542 completed reviews and reason counts exclude estimates for missing returns. A review may record multiple reasons.","ar":"تغطي التدفقات السنة المنتهية في 31 مارس 2026. إخطارات الفعاليات ومجموع المراجعات تقديرات؛ أما 542 مراجعة مكتملة وأعداد الأسباب فلا تشمل تقديراً للردود المفقودة. وقد تسجل المراجعة أكثر من سبب.","fr":"Les flux couvrent l’année terminée le 31 mars 2026. Les notifications temporaires et le total des examens sont estimés ; les 542 examens achevés et leurs motifs excluent les estimations pour déclarations manquantes. Un examen peut avoir plusieurs motifs.","es":"Los flujos cubren el año terminado el 31 de marzo de 2026. Los avisos temporales y el total de revisiones son estimaciones; las 542 revisiones concluidas y sus motivos excluyen estimaciones por respuestas ausentes. Una revisión puede tener varios motivos."},"sourceUrls":["https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026","https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/alcohol-licensing-england-and-wales-april-2025-to-march-2026","https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-alcohol-and-late-night-refreshment-licensing-statistics"],"updatedAt":"2026-10-04T06:05:35+03:00","items":[{"label":{"tr":"Geçici etkinlik bildirimleri (tahmin)","en":"Temporary event notices (estimate)","ar":"إخطارات الفعاليات المؤقتة (تقدير)","fr":"Notifications d’événements temporaires (estimation)","es":"Avisos de eventos temporales (estimación)"},"value":149600,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"estimate","measure":{"id":"temporary-event-notices","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"İşyeri ruhsatı incelemeleri (tahmin)","en":"Premises licence reviews (estimate)","ar":"مراجعات تراخيص المقرات (تقدير)","fr":"Examens de licences d’établissement (estimation)","es":"Revisiones de licencias de locales (estimación)"},"value":600,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"estimate","measure":{"id":"premises-licence-reviews-estimate","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Eksik-veri tahmini içermeyen tamamlanmış incelemeler","en":"Completed reviews excluding missing-data estimates","ar":"مراجعات مكتملة دون تقديرات للبيانات المفقودة","fr":"Examens achevés hors estimations pour données manquantes","es":"Revisiones concluidas sin estimaciones por datos faltantes"},"value":542,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"completed-premises-reviews-observed","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"İnceleme gerekçesi: suç ve kamu düzeni","en":"Review reason: crime and disorder","ar":"سبب المراجعة: الجريمة والإخلال بالنظام العام","fr":"Motif d’examen : infractions et troubles à l’ordre public","es":"Motivo de revisión: delitos y alteraciones del orden público"},"value":442,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"review-reason-crime-disorder","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}},{"label":{"tr":"Madde karıştırma endişesi nedeniyle koşul eklenen ruhsatlar","en":"Licences conditioned over spiking concerns","ar":"تراخيص فُرضت عليها شروط بسبب مخاوف دس مواد في المشروبات","fr":"Licences assorties de conditions pour préoccupations liées à l’altération de boissons","es":"Licencias con condiciones por preocupaciones sobre adulteración de bebidas"},"value":3,"unit":"count","period":"2026-03-31","basis":"observed","measure":{"id":"licences-conditioned-spiking-concerns","unitCode":"count","geography":"england-and-wales","frequency":"irregular","aggregation":"flow","periodRole":"reference-period"}}]}]},"data_compilations":[{"id":"licence-counts","creator":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://haberpaper.com/#organization","name":"Haber Paper","url":"https://haberpaper.com/"},"license":{"@type":"CreativeWork","@id":"https://haberpaper.com/en/data-terms/v1#license","name":"Haber Paper Original Data Compilation License 1.0","url":"https://haberpaper.com/en/data-terms/v1"},"rights_scope":"Haber Paper original data arrangement, labels and methodology notes only; underlying source rights and permissions remain separate.","source_license_url":null},{"id":"annual-licensing-activity","creator":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://haberpaper.com/#organization","name":"Haber Paper","url":"https://haberpaper.com/"},"license":{"@type":"CreativeWork","@id":"https://haberpaper.com/en/data-terms/v1#license","name":"Haber Paper Original Data Compilation License 1.0","url":"https://haberpaper.com/en/data-terms/v1"},"rights_scope":"Haber Paper original data arrangement, labels and methodology notes only; underlying source rights and permissions remain separate.","source_license_url":null}],"data_downloads":[{"id":"licence-counts","formats":{"json":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026/data/licence-counts?lang=en&format=json","csv":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026/data/licence-counts?lang=en&format=csv"}},{"id":"annual-licensing-activity","formats":{"json":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026/data/annual-licensing-activity?lang=en&format=json","csv":"https://haberpaper.com/api/v1/articles/england-wales-alcohol-licensing-estimates-march-2026/data/annual-licensing-activity?lang=en&format=csv"}}],"content":{"paragraphs":["England and Wales had an estimated 968,400 personal alcohol licences, 227,300 premises licences and 12,500 club premises certificates as at 31 March 2026. The Home Office reported the figures in its annual licensing statistics, published on 1 October 2026. About 10,600 premises also held 24-hour alcohol licences at that date. These numbers refer to different legal permissions and should not be added together as a count of businesses. A premises may fall under more than one authorisation, while personal licences are issued to individuals rather than venues.","A personal licence authorises an individual to supply alcohol or authorise its supply under a premises licence. A premises licence can permit a location to sell alcohol, provide regulated entertainment or offer late-night refreshment. Qualifying members’ clubs, including some sports or social clubs, need a club premises certificate if they plan to sell or supply alcohol. These permissions have different terms and uses. The 968,400 personal licences therefore do not mean that the same number of unique people were actively working on that date, and 227,300 premises licences are not necessarily 227,300 trading businesses.","The Home Office says personal licences generally accumulate over time because they remain valid unless surrendered, suspended or revoked. A premises licence may also remain on the record after a venue stops trading if the holder has not surrendered it. Growth in licence counts therefore does not, by itself, show that new venues opened or that employment in the alcohol sector increased. Birmingham had the highest number of personal licences, at 14,060, followed by North Yorkshire with 12,879 and Leeds with 11,858. Westminster had the highest count of premises licences among local authorities, at 3,993.","The geographic distribution also shows why a national total is not enough to describe the pattern. London had 33,769 premises licences and the South East had 32,376, while the North East had the lowest regional total, at 10,072. When measured relative to population, Wales had the highest rate, with 446 premises licences per 100,000 people; the East of England had the lowest, at 320. Wales had the second-lowest raw total but the highest population-adjusted rate, illustrating how population size affects comparisons. These rates do not mean that every licence related to a venue that was open or trading.","A total of 184 cumulative impact areas were in force across 71 licensing authorities. These are places where an authority has identified saturation of licensed premises and applies a special policy to new applications or variations. In 2024, there were 183 such areas across 76 authorities. The comparison therefore shows slightly more designated areas but fewer authorities using them. Nine authorities had a late-night levy, which lets councils collect a contribution from alcohol suppliers operating between midnight and 6am to help meet policing costs. They reported more than £2.5 million in receipts, compared with £2.6 million in the year ending March 2024; one authority could not provide its collection amount.","An estimated 149,600 temporary event notices were given in the year ending 31 March 2026, about 2 percent more than in the year ending March 2024. A temporary event notice is used to notify a licensing authority about certain limited events that do not require a premises licence; it is not a permanent venue licence. The same year, an estimated 600 premises licence reviews were carried out, around 30 percent more than in 2024. Among 542 completed reviews for which missing data were not estimated, 46 percent resulted in revocation or withdrawal, 12 percent in suspension, 7 percent in no further action and the remaining 35 percent in added or changed licence conditions.","More than one reason can be recorded for a review, so the reason counts do not add up to the number of reviews. Crime and disorder featured in 442 reviews, public safety in 138, public nuisance in 137 and protection of children in 118. Crime and disorder was cited in 82 percent of reviews. Three premises licences had conditions imposed because of concerns about spiking, compared with nine in the year ending March 2024. These are administrative outcomes and stated reasons for reviews; they do not directly measure the prevalence of offences or harm in licensed settings.","The headline totals include estimates for four licensing authorities that supplied no data for 2025–26, plus estimates where authorities could not report particular categories. The Home Office rounds headline counts to the nearest hundred and calculates percentage changes from underlying unrounded estimates. Data were not collected in some years to reduce local-authority reporting burden, and 2020 information was not collected because of the pandemic. The series is therefore not a complete annual run for every year, and long gaps should not be described as uninterrupted year-on-year trends. Although the statistics are based on local administrative returns, coverage and missing responses affect comparability.","The release covers permissions and local-authority powers under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales. It should not be read as a UK-wide total including Scotland or Northern Ireland. Personal licences, premises licences, club certificates, temporary notices and cumulative impact areas are distinct concepts with different denominators and operational meanings. The safest conclusion is that the data describe the scale of permissions on record and some licensing-authority activity at the end of March 2026. They do not count active pubs, restaurants, events or alcohol sales. A fuller assessment would pair them with independent information on whether premises were trading, sales activity and local population."],"key_points":[],"sections":[]},"text":"Home Office figures published on 1 October estimate 968,400 personal licences, 227,300 premises licences and 12,500 club certificates. The release uses estimates for missing local returns and warns that licences do not equal active businesses.\n\nEngland and Wales had an estimated 968,400 personal alcohol licences, 227,300 premises licences and 12,500 club premises certificates as at 31 March 2026. The Home Office reported the figures in its annual licensing statistics, published on 1 October 2026. About 10,600 premises also held 24-hour alcohol licences at that date. These numbers refer to different legal permissions and should not be added together as a count of businesses. A premises may fall under more than one authorisation, while personal licences are issued to individuals rather than venues.\n\nA personal licence authorises an individual to supply alcohol or authorise its supply under a premises licence. A premises licence can permit a location to sell alcohol, provide regulated entertainment or offer late-night refreshment. Qualifying members’ clubs, including some sports or social clubs, need a club premises certificate if they plan to sell or supply alcohol. These permissions have different terms and uses. The 968,400 personal licences therefore do not mean that the same number of unique people were actively working on that date, and 227,300 premises licences are not necessarily 227,300 trading businesses.\n\nThe Home Office says personal licences generally accumulate over time because they remain valid unless surrendered, suspended or revoked. A premises licence may also remain on the record after a venue stops trading if the holder has not surrendered it. Growth in licence counts therefore does not, by itself, show that new venues opened or that employment in the alcohol sector increased. Birmingham had the highest number of personal licences, at 14,060, followed by North Yorkshire with 12,879 and Leeds with 11,858. Westminster had the highest count of premises licences among local authorities, at 3,993.\n\nThe geographic distribution also shows why a national total is not enough to describe the pattern. London had 33,769 premises licences and the South East had 32,376, while the North East had the lowest regional total, at 10,072. When measured relative to population, Wales had the highest rate, with 446 premises licences per 100,000 people; the East of England had the lowest, at 320. Wales had the second-lowest raw total but the highest population-adjusted rate, illustrating how population size affects comparisons. These rates do not mean that every licence related to a venue that was open or trading.\n\nA total of 184 cumulative impact areas were in force across 71 licensing authorities. These are places where an authority has identified saturation of licensed premises and applies a special policy to new applications or variations. In 2024, there were 183 such areas across 76 authorities. The comparison therefore shows slightly more designated areas but fewer authorities using them. Nine authorities had a late-night levy, which lets councils collect a contribution from alcohol suppliers operating between midnight and 6am to help meet policing costs. They reported more than £2.5 million in receipts, compared with £2.6 million in the year ending March 2024; one authority could not provide its collection amount.\n\nAn estimated 149,600 temporary event notices were given in the year ending 31 March 2026, about 2 percent more than in the year ending March 2024. A temporary event notice is used to notify a licensing authority about certain limited events that do not require a premises licence; it is not a permanent venue licence. The same year, an estimated 600 premises licence reviews were carried out, around 30 percent more than in 2024. Among 542 completed reviews for which missing data were not estimated, 46 percent resulted in revocation or withdrawal, 12 percent in suspension, 7 percent in no further action and the remaining 35 percent in added or changed licence conditions.\n\nMore than one reason can be recorded for a review, so the reason counts do not add up to the number of reviews. Crime and disorder featured in 442 reviews, public safety in 138, public nuisance in 137 and protection of children in 118. Crime and disorder was cited in 82 percent of reviews. Three premises licences had conditions imposed because of concerns about spiking, compared with nine in the year ending March 2024. These are administrative outcomes and stated reasons for reviews; they do not directly measure the prevalence of offences or harm in licensed settings.\n\nThe headline totals include estimates for four licensing authorities that supplied no data for 2025–26, plus estimates where authorities could not report particular categories. The Home Office rounds headline counts to the nearest hundred and calculates percentage changes from underlying unrounded estimates. Data were not collected in some years to reduce local-authority reporting burden, and 2020 information was not collected because of the pandemic. The series is therefore not a complete annual run for every year, and long gaps should not be described as uninterrupted year-on-year trends. Although the statistics are based on local administrative returns, coverage and missing responses affect comparability.\n\nThe release covers permissions and local-authority powers under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales. It should not be read as a UK-wide total including Scotland or Northern Ireland. Personal licences, premises licences, club certificates, temporary notices and cumulative impact areas are distinct concepts with different denominators and operational meanings. The safest conclusion is that the data describe the scale of permissions on record and some licensing-authority activity at the end of March 2026. They do not count active pubs, restaurants, events or alcohol sales. A fuller assessment would pair them with independent information on whether premises were trading, sales activity and local population.","corrections":[],"editorial_illustration":{"kind":"symbolic-editorial-illustration","documentary":false,"scope":"section","asset_id":"economy","url":"https://haberpaper.com/assets/illustrations/economy-1536.webp","width":1536,"height":1024,"alt":"Symbolic trading harbour with a cargo ship, containers and a bridge.","language":"en"},"section_illustration":{"kind":"symbolic-editorial-illustration","documentary":false,"scope":"section","asset_id":"economy","url":"https://haberpaper.com/assets/illustrations/economy-1536.webp","width":1536,"height":1024,"alt":"Symbolic trading harbour with a cargo ship, containers and a bridge.","language":"en"}}}