Inside SunLife’s 2025 Cost of Dying Report

Inside SunLife’s 2025 Cost of Dying Report

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If you haven’t had a chance to review SunLife’s 2025 Cost of Dying Report yet, this year’s edition looks at rising funeral price trends, total cost of dying, challenges facing the funeral industry, financing a funeral, plus funeral trends and traditions in the UK. Here are some key takeaways.

To read the full report, visit: www.sunlife.co.uk/over-50-life-insurance/funeral-costs.

Funeral Costs Overview (Pages 7-9)

  • The average UK funeral now costs £4,285.
  • Direct cremations remain the cheapest option, but their price has increased the most—up 134% since 2004.
  • Costs have risen between 2023 and 2024:
    • Burial: +2.4%
    • Cremation: +4.9%
    • Direct cremation: +6.7%
    • Direct burial costs have fallen slightly: -7.8%

Funeral Costs by Region (Page 10)

Funeral costs vary significantly across the UK, influenced by crematorium fees, local wages, and competition among funeral directors.

  • London: Most expensive at £5,449 (+5.4%).
  • Northern Ireland: Most affordable at £3,441 (+5.7%).
  • Northwest England: £4,297 (+13%).
  • Scotland: £4,345 (+7.8%).
  • Wales & Yorkshire and the Humber: £4,094 (-4.5%) and £4,031 (-0.8%) respectively.

Direct Cremations (Pages 17-19)

  • Direct cremations remain at 20% of funerals.
  • 89% of families still hold a wake or memorial.
  • Awareness of direct cremations is now very high.

Financial Pressures (Pages 21-27)

  • 33% of people say financial pressures impacted their funeral choices.
  • 22% struggled to cover funeral bills.
  • Many use savings (33%), credit cards (24%), or borrow from family (23%).

Personalised Funerals (Pages 38-41)

  • More people want funerals to reflect their loved ones.
  • Religious funerals are declining.
  • “Celebrations of life” now account for 51% of funerals, up from 31% in 2017.

A Changing Industry (Pages 48-50)

  • Rising demand for affordable options and price transparency.
  • Increasing competition from online providers.
  • Trust in the industry has been shaken by scandals like the Hull funeral home case, leading to calls for stricter regulation.

Key Takeaways (Pages 52-54)

  • Funeral costs and the total cost of dying are at an all-time high.
  • Money worries remain a major concern.
  • Direct cremations remain popular, but many Brits still avoid discussing death and funerals, making planning more difficult.
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