SunLife’s annual cost of dying research shows the cost of dying is the fastest rising of any fixed cost in the UK – rising much faster than any cost of living such as rent, food, utilities, insurance or clothing.

SunLife said the average funeral now costs £3,897, with the total cost of dying £8,802 per person.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The life insurer said families are spending 28% less on the send-off than they were 5 years ago to cover rising funeral costs

To help bereaved families and help them understand and plan for funeral costs, SunLife andDying Matters, a coalition of 32,000 members across England and Wales which includes community groups, healthcare bodies and private individual, have launched ‘what to do when someone dies’ tool and a funeral calculator.

SunLife said the overall cost of dying which includes death-related costs such as probate, headstones and flowers in addition to the basic cost of a funeral – has risen by 8.3% to £8,802.

The funeral – which makes up 44% of the cost of dying – has soared by 5.5% in a single year, a rise more than 10 times the increase in the cost of living.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The average funeral in the UK now costs £3,897 which is more than double what it was when SunLife first started tracking funeral prices in 2004.

To put this in perspective, SunLife said if the cost of a funeral had risen in line with the cost of living it would now cost £2,540 – £1,357 less than the actual figure. London remains the most expensive place to die, with the average funeral costing £5,529, which is 42% more than the national average of £3,897.