The number of licensed premises in England and Wales has continued to decline steadily over recent years, while the number of registered clubs has shown sustained growth, according to official figures.

At the start of 1925, there were 80,420 on-licenses and 22,131 off-licenses across England and Wales. This equated to 20.68 on-licenses and 5.69 off-licenses per 10,000 people, combining for a total of 26.37 licensed premises per 10,000 population. The reduction in on-licenses has accelerated over the past two decades. Annual losses averaged 386 on-licenses between 1895 and 1904, increased to 953 on average between 1905 and 1924, and amounted to approximately 667 in 1924 alone. Preliminary estimates suggest a further decline of around 560 on-licenses during 1925, which would bring the total on-licenses to about 79,860 as of early 1926.

Despite overall decreases in licensed premises, population growth has meant that the ratio of on-licenses to people has fallen more sharply. For example, on January 1, 1908, there were 95,517 on-licenses, or 27.24 per 10,000 people—roughly one on-license for every 367 individuals. By January 1, 1925, this ratio had dropped to 20.68 on-licenses per 10,000 people, equivalent to one license for every 484 individuals. The number of off-licenses experienced a slight net decline of four in the past year.

In contrast, registered clubs have steadily increased in number. As of January 1, 1925, there were 11,780 registered clubs, marking a rise of 309 compared to the previous year. While this was a smaller increase than any recorded since 1919, clubs in England grew by 282 (around 3 percent), and those in Wales increased by 27 (over 4 percent). Since 1904, the total growth in registered clubs reached 5,409, outpacing the decline of 19,509 in on-licenses during the same period. Projections indicate that registered clubs expanded further by more than 354 during 1925.

These trends reflect changing patterns in social drinking and leisure activities in England and Wales, with a gradual shift from traditional licensed premises toward club-based establishments.