Almost 30 per cent of pubs in Waterford have closed down since 2005

A new report has revealed a rapid decline in the number of pubs across the country, with Waterford seeing almost 30% of pubs close over the last twenty years.

The report, published by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) and written by economist Anthony Foley, shows pub closures across the country increasing year-on-year.

Waterford County experienced a 28.8% decrease in pubs between 2005 and 2025, with 64 closures over the twenty-year period.

The pre and post covid numbers for Waterford continue the trend, with 31 closures from 2019 to 2025, a 14.4% decline.

According to the report, Waterford housed 185 pubs in 2025, with the number lowering each year from 2019.

All 26 counties in the republic experienced a decline in pub numbers over the same twenty-year period, with over 25% of pubs across the country closing down over that period.

Over the 20 years, the number of pubs in Dublin declined by 9 (1.1%), while the rest of the country experienced a total decline of 2,196 (28%), with the highest decrease seen in Limerick with 192 closures (40.2%).

Between 2005 and 2025, regional Ireland accounted for 99.6% of the decline in the number of pubs while Dublin accounted for the remaining 0.4%.

"The closure of public houses across the country is likely to continue if current polices remain unchanged," said Anthony Foley, Economist and Associate Professor Emeritus at Dublin City University.

"Even without additional or significant economic shocks, an optimistic scenario would see an additional 600 pub closure in the next decade from 2024," he added.

He went on to comment: "At the other end of the spectrum, Ireland could bear witness of 1,000 closures. It is clear that at a time when public houses are experiencing significant challenges to their financial viability, a 10% reduction in excise as suggested by DIGI, would be of significant assistance."