The average funeral cost in the UK is now £4,417 ($5,800) and as high as it has ever been. If prices keep increasing according to the trend of the past 15 years then the average price of a funeral in the UK will surpass the average of £5,000($US) and reach £5,285 ($US) by 2024.
Statistics on the UK funeral industry
The recently released Sunlife report, based on a survey among over 1500 death care professionals, shows interesting insights in the UK funeral market. According to the report, funeral costs have risen in the past 15 years by 130% from an average of £1,920 ($2,286) in 2004 to £4,417 ($5,259) in 2019. In the same time frame the cumulative inflation rate was only 52,26% and the average income has increased by 37,58%, making it significantly harder for people to be able to afford a funeral service.
As London is the most expensive city in the UK it’s not surprising that the average price for a funeral in Britains capital is the highest, with an average of £5,963 ($7,822).,Other parts of the United Kingdom are catching up with price increases throughout the UK.
Average price increases 2018 to 2019 in the United Kingdom
- East and West Midlands +9.6%
- Wales +9.4%
- South East & East of England +9.2%
- Northern Ireland +8%
- Yorkshire and the Humber +4.4%
- Scotland +3.5%
- London +1.4%
Death Care Industry statistics United Kingdom
For 77% of people in the UK a funeral with cremation is preferred over a funeral with a burial. A funeral with a cremation is on average £3,858 ($5,061) and a funeral with a burial is on average £4,975 ($6,526).
