Funeral costs hit all-time high of £4,285

15^th January 2025
6 min read

• The average cost of a simple attended funeral is now £4,285 – that’s an above inflation YoY increase of 3.5% – according to the latest SunLife Cost of Dying report
• Since SunLife’s first funeral cost study in 2004, funeral costs have risen 134% – that’s compared to an inflation rate of just 75%*
• Overall ‘Cost of dying’ – which includes full send-off costs and estate admin fees in addition to the funeral cost – has risen 1.4% to £9,797, a record high
• The cost of a direct cremation funeral has risen for only the second time – up 6.6% to £1,597 – but remains the cheapest option
• 1 in 5 families find themselves in financial difficulty trying to pay, as only 2 in 5 (38%) people leave enough money behind to cover the cost of their funeral 

The cost of a simple attended funeral has risen 3.5% in a year to hit an all-time high of £4,285, while the overall cost of dying has reached £9,797 according to the 21^st edition of the SunLife Cost of Dying report – the leading and longest-running report into funeral costs.

Over the past two decades, a simple attended funeral – which includes an attended burial or cremation, funeral director, doctor^ and celebrant fees, a coffin and limousine – have risen faster than inflation.

In 2004 – which was the year SunLife started indexing funeral costs – a simple funeral was £1,835. And if funeral prices had risen at the same rate of inflation, the average cost today would be £3,211.

However, funeral costs have risen at well above that rate and are 134% higher than they were 21 years ago, rising from under £2,000 to more than £4,000.

And it is not just the simple attended funeral cost that has hit an all-time high. The total cost of dying – which also includes full send-off costs and the cost of hiring a professional to administer the estate – has increased by 1.4% to £9,797. That’s the highest figure ever, but varies significantly between each estate.

This comparatively modest increase is due to the fact that while funeral and send off costs have risen, the average cost of professional estate administration has fallen by almost £100 year-on-year. As solicitor fees for probate are typically calculated as a percentage of the estate being managed, this is likely due to a variance in the average estate size of respondents rather than a decrease in professional fees.

London remains the most expensive place to die

Seven out of the 10 UK regions saw funeral costs rise this year. And despite a huge 13% rise in the North West, it is London that remains the most expensive place to die.

In the capital, the average funeral costs £5,449. This is a 5.4% rise on last year, meaning a funeral in London costs 27% more than the average for the UK, and 58% more than in the cheapest region, Northern Ireland. SunLife’s Funeral cost calculator can help you work out what a funeral might cost in your area.

Rank	Region	Average funeral cost	Change from previous year
1	London	£5,449	+5.4%
2	South East & East of England	£4,943	+6.5%
3	Scotland	£4,345	+7.8%
4	North West England	£4,297	+13.0%
5	East & West Midlands	£4,233	+2.0%
6	Wales	£4,094	-4.5%
7	North East England	£4,047	+1.9%
8	Yorkshire and the Humber	£4,031	-0.8%
9	South West England	£3,966	-1.6%
10	Northern Ireland	£3,441	+5.7%

Direct cremation costs rise for only second time but remain cheapest option

This year, direct cremations – a cremation without a funeral service – have risen for just the second time since tracking began in 2017, up 6.7% from £1,498 to £1,597. However, they still remain the cheapest type of funeral.

The number of direct cremations swelled during the pandemic – out of necessity – but they’ve grown and remained popular even in the years after COVID-19 restrictions. And for the second year running, they now account for 1 in 5 of all funerals, up from 18% in 2022, 14% in 2020 and just 3% in 2019.

Only 38% of people make provisions to cover the full cost of their funeral, causing financial issues for 1 in 5 families

The SunLife Cost of Dying report shows that while 68% of people make provisions specifically to pay for their funeral before they pass away, only 38% put enough aside to cover the whole cost.

One in five (18%) families experience ‘notable financial concerns’ when paying for a funeral; on average, they have to find almost £2,371 to cover the costs.

Most of these use their savings and investments (33%) to pay, but 24% put it on a credit card, 23% borrow the money from a friend or relative, and 19% sell belongings to cover the cost.

Of those who struggle to cover the cost of a funeral, 75% see an impact on their mental health and 61% on their physical health.

Talking about our funeral wishes can keep costs – and emotional stress – to a minimum

According to SunLife’s findings, Brits still find talking about funerals as uncomfortable as ever.

Of those organising a funeral, 18% don’t know any of their loved one’s wishes. More than half (51%) don’t even know if their loved one wanted a burial or cremation, 67% don’t know if they wanted a religious service or not, and 87% don’t know who they should be inviting to pay their respects.

And this lack of knowledge often leads to families spending more than they need to. Of the 55% who feel under pressure while organising a funeral, one in five spend more than they want to, because of pressure from family and/or the funeral director.

However, when asked about their own funerals, 35% say they want their family to spend as little as possible.

Mark Screeton, CEO, SunLife said: “It’s so important for people to talk more about their funerals, so that loved ones aren’t left to organise things with little idea about what the deceased would have wanted. This year’s Cost of Dying Report highlights just how much of a financial and emotional impact not knowing can have.

“A send-off doesn’t need to cost thousands. A direct cremation with a DIY get-together afterwards might be the perfect way to say a personal goodbye to loved one. But we know families tend to only choose low-cost options when it has been specifically requested by the deceased.

“So it’s really important that, as a nation, we start talking about funerals, so that we can discuss with loved ones the type of funeral we want and how it will be paid for. That way, family and friends aren’t left to make difficult emotional and financial decisions once we have gone.”

If you’re starting to think about what you’d want for your own funeral, SunLife’s free My Perfect Send Off tool can help you decide what you’d like and lets your record and share those wishes with loved ones.

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References

*According to the Bank of England's inflation calculator(www.bankofengland.co.uk opens in a new tab) if costs had risen at the same rate as inflation, this figure would only be 75% higher at £3,211

^Not applicable to Scotland. At the time of research they were a requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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About the Cost of Dying

The Cost of Dying Report is an annual sector-leading research paper that’s been running for 21 years, providing a credible and comprehensive overview of funeral costs.

It’s undertaken by Critical Research on behalf of SunLife, using two research methods:

• Interviews with 100 funeral directors across the UK (10 per region), conducted in May to July 2024.
• Interviews with 1,511 individuals who have been involved in organising a funeral over the past four years, conducted in June to July 2024. 39% organised a funeral within the past 12 months.

This report looks at:

• Funeral price trends – For burials, cremations, direct cremations, and direct burials
• Total cost of dying – Including send-off costs and probate fees
• Challenges facing the funeral industry – Such as the cost-of-living crisis, 2021 CMA regulations, and the rise of direct cremations
• Financing a funeral – How people are preparing, paying, and cutting costs
• Funeral trends and traditions in the UK – How funerals are evolving

You are welcome to use these facts and figures. Please ensure you quote 'SunLife's Cost of Dying Report' and link to www.sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs

In 2020, we changed the way we calculate the average cost of a funeral to reflect the higher number of cremations vs burials in the UK. To give a consistent comparison of funeral costs over time, we’ve also updated the previous years’ figures to reflect this change in our calculation.