1. The cost of dying explained

What is the cost of dying and how has it changed?

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.

Why has the cost of dying risen so much?

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.

2. Funeral costs in the UK

How much does a basic funeral cost?

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.

How much does a burial, cremation and direct cremation cost?

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.

Other costs included in a basic funeral

There are other costs that can make up the cost of a funeral

Professional fees

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.

Send-off costs

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.

Funeral costs by UK regions

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.

3. The future of funerals

How much will funerals cost in the future?

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.

Funeral costs since 2004 (projected from 2021 until 2025)

What type of funeral are people choosing?

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.

4. Funerals and COVID-19

Saying goodbye during a pandemic

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.

82% said the funeral they organised was affected a lot by COVID-19

82%

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33% described the funeral they organised as a direct cremation

33%

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71% said that not everyone who wanted to attend the funeral could, due to social distancing guidelines

71%

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86% said there were things they couldn't do or had to cut back on - most commonly catering, limousines and venue hire

86%

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34% said the funeral caused them notable financial concerns

34%

How is the funeral industry coping?

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:

• Government legislation resulting in families not being able to grieve together
• Misleading and disorganised guidance for funeral directors
• Not being able to support bereaved families face-to-face

COVID-19 and the future of funerals

When we asked funeral directors how they think the COVID-19 pandemic will affect funerals in the future, they said:

• Job losses will mean people opt for simpler funerals
• Paperwork will go digital, as it’s more hygienic and efficient
• Direct cremations will continue to gain popularity

5. Paying for a funeral

How are we paying?

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.

Exploring options

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.

How you can cover funeral costs

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.

Cutting costs: tips and advice

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:

• Choose a cheaper coffin
• Spend less on flowers
• Have the wake at home (if possible)
• Opt for a cremation or direct cremation

6. Planning a funeral

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.

Start the conversation about funerals

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.

Find out what your family want

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.

Tell your family what you want

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.

7. Trends and traditions

Attitudes continue to change

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%.

What changes are funeral directors seeing?

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.

The nation’s favourite funeral songs

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.

What are the latest funeral trends?

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.