Almost half the money spent on leisure outside the home goes on drinks down the pub, according to a report published today.

The £17.5 billion paid out for drinks last year is more than double the £7.2 billion spent on entertainment such as going to the cinema, theatre, museum and the bingo combined.

The report from market analysts Mintel shows a big drop in the amount spent at night clubs. That market was worth an estimated £1.7 billion last year, down from £2.2 billion at its peak in 1998.

In comparison, spending on health and fitness has soared by almost 50 per cent over the same period.

Britons spent almost £3 billion on health clubs last year compared to less than £2 billion in 1998, according to the report.

Another area which has seen a big rise is gambling, which has now topped more than £7.4 billion a year.

Growth in the UK's leisure industry has been slow over the past five years. Last year the sector was worth £35 billion, up just six per cent from 1998, says the report.

Mark Brechin, from Mintel, said: "Spending on traditional types of leisure has not grown anywhere near as fast as markets for foreign travel and restaurant meals."

Thursday October 02, 2003