We take a look at the latest research on funeral trends, costs and attitudes. Now in its 22nd year, the SunLife ‘Cost of Dying Report 2026’ provides a comprehensive view of changes to funerals over time.
It’s fascinating to see how funeral options and choices are continuing to evolve. There are many continuities, but societal and cultural factors, new technology, and the cost of living have all shaped the types of funerals that people are choosing in the UK today.
The SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2026 provides an annual review based on interviews with 100 funeral directors across the UK and 1,500 individuals who have been involved in organising a funeral, giving a fascinating insight into the general trends in this sector.
Read on to find out more.
What Type of Funeral are People Choosing?
At 74%, the proportion of people choosing cremation is similar to last year. There has been a 1% increase in the proportion of people choosing burial, and the number of funerals described as a direct cremation increased slightly from 20% to 21%.
Celebration of Life and Alternative Funerals
Half of all funeral services in the survey were described by organisers as a ‘celebration of life’. This may be denoted by things like the choice of location and music, readings and light-hearted speeches, having a colourful or unusual dress code, or even personalised coffins.
These are some of the many ways that people described their services:
Religious and Non-religious Funerals
Although 40% of people say that the funeral they arranged was religious, 62% of funeral directors report a drop in the number of traditional religious services. Many funeral celebrants are happy to include both religious and non-religious elements, and 14% of services are reported to contain both.
The Cost of Dying and the Cost of a Basic Funeral
This year, the report includes a statistic for a ‘simple attended funeral’, which reflects the growing interest in recent years for a more modern, pared back service, without some of the more traditional elements.
This figure for a simple attended funeral is weighted to reflect the percentage of people choosing cremation and burial. The send-off average is weighted to reflect the percentage of organisers picking each extra element that makes up the send-off.
The Cost of Different Types of Burial and Cremation
Below is a breakdown for the average costs for the different types of funeral based on whether it is a burial or cremation.
Remember, these are average costs. How much we pay for a funeral depends on a number of factors, such as how many ‘extras’ we choose and where in the UK it takes place. So, for example, the average cost of a simple attended funeral in Northern Ireland is lowest at £3,105, whereas in London it is highest at £4,897.
How Much is an Average ‘Full’ Send-off?
Alongside the basic funeral, most people choose at least some optional extras, including elements that make the day feel more personal to the person who has died. This might include some sort of gathering, such as a celebration of life, funeral reception, or memorial service.
SunLife looked at the average cost of a send-off where all elements are included. According to the Report, the average cost of this type of send-off was £2,975, up 3.4% on the previous year. Here’s what this includes:
Who is Paying and How?
The Report suggests that before they die 70% of people make provisions specifically to pay for their funeral (up 2% on the previous year). These are some of the ways they choose to do this:
Whilst 70% of people put aside money for their funeral, their research suggests that in 58% of cases there is a short-fall, so the whole cost is not covered. In this case, finding the balance often falls to the funeral arranger.
Knowing Our Loved One’s Funeral Wishes
Very little has changed over the past year in terms of how much people talk about or know their loved one’s funeral wishes. 18% don’t know any of their funeral wishes, and just under half don’t know whether their person wanted to be buried or cremated. Less than 1% know all of their loved one’s funeral wishes.
Here is how people tend to find out about their loved one’s funeral wishes:
What Are People Doing With Their Loved One’s Ashes?
With 74% of people opting for cremation, it is interesting to see what people are choosing to do with the cremation ashes.
More than half of funeral organisers said that the ashes of their loved one have been, or will be, scattered (51%), others said that the family will keep the ashes (38%), that they will be buried (18%), or something else (1%).
If ashes are being scattered, this is where people chose to do so:
Our Own Funeral Wishes
Very little has changed when it comes to organising our own funeral and letting others know about our funeral wishes. Whilst arranging a funeral prompts 65% of organisers to start thinking about their own funeral, 35% said that they haven’t yet made any of their wishes known.
The number of people who have spoken about their funeral preferences with someone else is just 21%, but many do have some idea of what they want. Once again, top of the list was that they would like their family to spend as little money as possible (30%), followed by 23% who would like a traditional funeral. 11% said that they would like to leave it to their family to decide.
Conclusion
This is a just a small snapshot of some of the interesting information that the SunLife Report highlights. To read the full Report and to see comparisons of statistics for previous years, please go to SunLife’s Cost of Dying Report 2026.
At whiteballoon we passionately believe that being informed about funeral options and costs empowers people and gives them the confidence to make choices that are right for them and for those they love. We also feel that knowing someone’s funeral wishes can bring comfort to those left behind.
Our Information pages, Inspiration section, and Planning Tools can help with planning and choices, and our Provider Directory links to caring and compassionate people and organisations that can help every step of the way.
Note: All statistics are taken from the SunLife’s Cost of Dying Report 2026.