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Rachel Mason
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8 min read
At SunLife, we’ve been researching funeral costs since 2004. Every year since, we’ve watched these costs go up and up – and 2021 is no exception.
Once again, we’ve seen a rise in the average cost of dying. It’s now the highest it’s ever been, at £9,263 (+0.8% since 2019).
However, this is a small rise compared to previous years. In fact, this year's increase is the lowest we’ve seen since our research began in 2004.
In the report, we look at how funerals have changed this year – including the impact of COVID-19, the types of funerals being chosen and the changing trends in funerals.
We’ve also included tips and advice on cutting costs and organising a funeral, from both funeral directors and the general public.
Want to know more? Scroll down to see some key take-outs from the 2021 report, or download it in full here.
We’ve made some changes to how we calculate the average cost of a funeral. Our average funeral cost is now weighted by the percentage of burials and cremations in the UK.
To give a consistent comparison of funeral costs over time, we’ve updated the previous years’ figures to reflect this change in our calculation. See our report for more detail.
The ‘cost of dying’ figure is the total cost of a person’s funeral – including professional fees, the funeral service, and optional extras like the wake or gathering.
Our latest research has seen the cost of dying reach an all-time high of £9,263. That’s 0.8% up since the previous year, and a rise of 39% in the last decade.
(This includes the funeral, plus professional fees and send-off costs)
2020 - £9,263
2019 - £9,192
+0.8% How much the cost of dying has risen between 2019 and 2020
The main reason why the cost of dying is so high is a rise in funeral costs. A basic funeral in the UK now costs £4,184 on average, which makes up 45.2% of the total cost of dying.
As we’ve just seen, the average cost of a basic funeral is higher than ever before. At £4,184, it’s up 1.7% since 2019 – and up 128% since 2004.1
Basic funeral costs include the fees for the cremation or burial, doctor, funeral director, and minister or celebrant.
It usually includes the cost of the medical certificate needed when someone dies, but this has been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19.
2020 - £4,184
2019 - £4,115
+1.7% How much the cost of a basic funeral has risen between 2019 and 2020
While the average cost of a basic UK funeral is at an all-time high, it’s actually even higher when we look at the cost of a basic funeral with a burial – £5,033. That’s up by 1.2% in the last year.
With a cremation, the average basic funeral costs £3,885 (up 0.7%). And with a direct cremation, a basic funeral costs just £1,554 – down 4.4% since 2019.
2020 average funeral cost: £4,184 (+1.7%) | 2019 average funeral cost: £4,115 |
---|---|
Burial: £5,033 (+1.2%) | Burial: £4,975 |
Cremation: £3,885 (+0.7%) | Cremation: £3,858 |
Direct cremation: £1,554 (-4.4%) | Direct cremation: £1,626 |
There are other costs that can make up the cost of a funeral
One of the most dramatic changes this year is the fall in professional fees, which have gone down 8.1% since 2019 – but they still make up 27.5% of the total cost of dying.
A send-off is the added optional extras that can make a funeral more personal to the deceased and their loved ones. It usually includes things like a memorial, catering, limo hire, venue hire and flowers.
Just like in 2019, send-off costs went up the most – this time with a 9.8% rise to £2,532. They now make up 27.3% of the total cost of dying.
Where you live can make a big difference to the average cost of a basic funeral.
London is still the most expensive place to die, but the South East & East of England saw the biggest rise in costs (+9.8%).
Once again, Northern Ireland is the most affordable place to die, with average funeral costs 23% below the national average.
The most expensive places to die |
---|
London £5,235 (+3.4%) |
South East & East England £5,007 (+9.8%) |
East and West Midlands £4,488 (+3.9%) |
Yorkshire and the Humber £4,270 (-3.6%) |
The most affordable places to die |
---|
Northern Ireland £3,222 (-7.4%) |
Wales £3,718 (+0.4%) |
North West England £3,785 (+5.2%) |
North east England £3,826 (-1.8%) |
If the cost of a basic funeral rises at the same rate as it has since 2004, we project the average cost of a funeral could reach £5,044 in five years’ time. However, the rate of increase appears to be slowing down.
59% of funerals in 2020 were cremations, making it the most popular choice. 26% were burials, and 14% were direct cremations.
However, the number of direct cremations increased by 11% during February to July, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find out more about direct cremations on page 19 of our report.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made saying goodbye to our loved ones especially hard.
24% of people who organised a funeral between February and July 2020 describe the death of their loved one as COVID-19-related.
82% said the funeral they organised was affected a lot by COVID-19, with 71% also saying that not everyone who wanted to attend the funeral could.
Almost all funeral directors (97%) say they’ve been affected by the pandemic, but only 54% say they’ve felt supported by the government.
We asked them what the difficulties of organising a funeral during a pandemic are. The most common answers were:
When we asked funeral directors how they think the COVID-19 pandemic will affect funerals in the future, they said:
65% of people made provisions specifically to pay for their funeral – up by 2% since 2019. But only 66% of these people put enough aside to cover the whole cost of their funeral.
Of the families who had to make up the shortfall, 14% said the funeral caused them notable financial problems.
38% of these people used money from savings or investments to cover funeral costs. 25% used a credit card, and another 25% borrowed money from someone they knew.
2020 average funeral cost: £4,184 (+1.7%) | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|
Took money from savings or investments | 30% | 38% |
Putting the outstanding amount on a credit card | 25% | 25% |
Borrowed money from a friend/relative | 22% | 25% |
Paid the funeral director in instalments | 16% | 16% |
Sold belongings to cover the cost | 15% | 17% |
Borrowed money from a loan provider (e.g. a bank) | 10% | 13% |
Applied for a subsidy from government or local authority (Funeral Payment Expenses) | 8% | 9% |
Other | 12% | 6% |
Can't remember | 5% | 3% |
81% of people organising a funeral got either no quote, or just one quote from a funeral director.
This shows that some people may not know that you don’t have to go with the funeral director named by your loved one. You can still shop around for more affordable options.
With funeral prices at their highest point ever, the cost can come as a huge shock.
1 in 4 people said certain costs took them by surprise. So it could be worth putting financial plans in place today, such as over 50s life insurance or a funeral plan.
If you find yourself struggling to pay for a funeral, you can read our Help with funeral costs article for more guidance.
53% of people tried to cut back and keep funeral costs down in 2020, with 8% saying they felt they spent money they didn’t need to.
When we asked for tips on how to cut funeral costs, funeral directors and people who had organised a send-off gave similar advice:
Where did they cut costs? | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|
Chose a cheaper coffin | 20% | 18% |
Spent less on flowers | 17% | 15% |
Had a home wake | 12% | 14% |
Didn't use a hearse/limousine | 10% | 11% |
Chose not to embalm | 13% | 10% |
Shopped around for the best price | 10% | 10% |
Did not use order or service cards | 9% | 9% |
Chose a direct cremation | 5% | 7% |
Chose a cheaper cremation time | 4% | 5% |
Asked the funeral director to use fewer pall bearers | 3% | 4% |
Funerals have changed a lot in the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But that doesn’t mean we can’t give our loved ones a personal, appropriate send-off.
A good way to take some of the pressure out of organising a funeral is to talk about what your loved ones want. That way, we can give them the send-off they deserve.
It can be hard to talk about death and funerals with our loved ones.
In 2020, less than 1% of people knew all their loved ones’ funeral wishes – and 17% didn’t know any of their wishes at all.
Of those who knew their wishes, 65% had been told face-to-face, 18% were told by family and friends, and 17% found out from the will.
What do we know about our loved ones' funeral wishes? | 2019 | 2020 |
---|---|---|
Whether their loved one wanted a burial or a cremation | 58% | 55% |
If they wanted a religious or non-religious service | 38% | 41% |
The location of their preferred cemetery or burial-ground | 30% | 32% |
Whether they wanted their ashes scattered, interred or disposed | 28% | 29% |
Their preferred funeral director | 26% | 27% |
Who they wanted to arrange the funeral | 26% | 14% |
Their preference for any music/readings | 25% | 26% |
Their preferred charity for donation | 24% | 22% |
Which type of coffin or casket (e.g. wood, wicker, cardboard) | 13% | 16% |
Who to invite to the funeral | 12% | 14% |
Their preferred venue for the wake or post-funeral gathering | 12% | 12% |
What type of flowers they wanted | 11% | 13% |
No, I did not know any of the preferences | 17% | 17% |
62% of people who organised a funeral recently said they’ve started to think about their own. However, only 38% of these people have made a will. With the cost of dying higher than ever, and with COVID-19 changing how we say goodbye to our loved ones, it’s important to talk about our funeral wishes – and to get a financial plan in place, whether it’s a funeral plan, life insurance or savings.
Following on from 2019, the celebration of life trend continued into 2020. In fact, exactly half of all funeral services were described as a celebration of life – up 4%.
80% of funeral directors also saw an increase in this more upbeat type of send-off, with 63% saying they saw a drop in the number of religious services.
Only 26% of people tell their loved ones which songs they want played at their funeral.
Perhaps this is why ‘Amazing Grace’ was the most popular song to be played at a funeral in 2020. But when we asked people what song they’d like at their send-off, the number one choice was ‘Always Look On the Bright Side of Life’.
So don’t be shy – ask your family what music they’d like at their funeral, and tell them what you’d like at yours. It’s a really simple way to make a send-off more personal.
89% of funeral directors noticed some key trends in 2020.
The most common is that people are using social media sites like Facebook to invite people to the service.
They also said that funerals are becoming more tailored to the individual, with special requests, personalised transport and unusual venues.
Others also pointed out that more people are choosing simpler, affordable send-offs like a direct cremation.
49% of funeral directors said the biggest change they saw in 2020 was the use of social media invitations in place of newspaper notices.
46% of funeral directors said they saw a change in 2020 focusing on theme, personalisations and special requests.
41% of funeral directors said they saw a change in 2020 focusing on music and readings.
38% of funeral directors said they saw a change in 2020 focusing on the cost of the funeral.
21% of funeral directors said they saw a change in 2020 focusing on the attendees.
11% of funeral directors said they saw no changes or trends in 2020.
41% of funeral directors said COVID-19 had an impact on the funeral industry, as they “must keep adapting and changing”.
But the pandemic isn’t the only challenge the industry is facing. We asked funeral directors what they consider to be the biggest problems right now:
How to get help with funeral costs
Read the full article hereSep 10, 2020
How to arrange a funeral
Read the full article hereMay 21, 2019
At SunLife, we've been tracking funeral costs for 16 years, so we have historical data from 2004 onwards. If you require any past reports, please get in touch with our media contact.
Download the full PDF reportRachel Mason
1Our average funeral cost is now weighted by the proportion of burials and cremations in the UK. We’ve updated the previous years’ figures to reflect this change in our calculation.