General Article How much does a funeral cost in the UK?

Topic Selected: Bereavement Book Volume: 407

How much does a funeral cost?

SunLife’s annual Cost of Dying Report for 2021 shows that the average cost of a UK funeral is £4,184, a 1.7 per cent increase from the previous year and up 128% since 2004.

SunLife has been tracking funeral costs in their annual ‘Cost of Dying’ reports since 2007. For their 2021 report, they made some changes to how the average cost of a funeral is calculated. It’s now weighted by the percentage of burials and cremations in the UK. To give a consistent comparison of funeral costs over time, previous year’s figures were updated using the same methodology.

To calculate the £4,184 figure, SunLife define basic funeral costs as including:

  • cremation or burial fees
  • doctor fees
  • funeral director fees
  • minister or celebrant fees

What is the cost of dying in the UK?

The 2021 report shows that the total cost of dying in the UK is £9,263, an all-time high. The cost of dying includes:

  • the funeral
  • professional fees
  • optional extras like the wake or gathering

The 202...

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