The Welsh government has confirmed it will increase the minimum unit price (MUP) of alcohol from 50p to 65p after members of the Senedd voted to extend the landmark policy aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm.
The move brings Wales into line with Scottish government, which raised its own MUP to 65p from the end of September 2024. In Wales, the new price will take effect from 1 October 2026.
Minimum unit pricing is designed to curb consumption among hazardous and harmful drinkers by increasing the cost of the cheapest, strongest alcohol. Independent research commissioned by the Welsh government suggests that lifting the rate to 65p could prevent more than 900 alcohol-related deaths over the next 20 years and reduce the number of harmful drinkers by almost 5,000.
Following the vote, minister for mental health and wellbeing Sarah Murphy said cheap, high-strength alcohol disproportionately affects those most at risk.
“The evidence is clear – minimum unit pricing works,” she said. “We have today taken a decision which will save lives and help protect many people from the harms caused by drinking too much alcohol.”
The decision was welcomed by Alcohol Change UK, whose director for Wales Andrew Misell said inflation had steadily weakened the impact of the policy since it was first introduced.
“This increase restores the policy’s effectiveness and ensures it can continue to reduce the availability of the cheapest, strongest alcohol that causes the most harm,” he said.
Minimum unit pricing was originally introduced in Wales in March 2020 under the Public Health (Minimum Unit Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Act 2018. The legislation included a sunset clause that would have ended the scheme on 1 March 2026 without Senedd approval.
Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol in 2018. There is currently no mandated MUP in England and Northern Ireland.