Average funeral cost hits all-time high of £4,285, SunLife finds

The cost of a simple unattended funeral has risen by 3.5% in a year to hit a record high of £4,285, while the overall cost of dying has reached £9,797, according to the 2025 edition of SunLife’s Cost of Dying report. The report, which has been tracking costs in the funeral industry for the past 21 years, has seen simple funerals – those that include an attended burial or cremation, funeral director, doctor and celebrant fees – rise faster than inflation in the past year. A simple funeral arranged in 2004 was priced at £1,835, and if funeral prices had risen at the same rate of inflation, the average cost today would be £3,211. However, the report revealed that funeral costs have risen at well above that rate and are 134% higher than they were 21 years ago – rising from under £2k to more than £4k. Meanwhile, the total cost of dying – which also includes full send-off costs and probate fees – has risen by 1.4% to £9,797. While that is the highest figure recorded, SunLife said this sum “varies significantly” between each estate. This comparatively modest rise in the cost of dying is due to the fact that, while funeral and send off costs have risen, the average cost of probate has fallen by almost £100 year-on-year. As probate fees are typically calculated as a percentage of the estate being managed, SunLife believes this is likely due to a variance in the average estate size of respondents – rather than a decrease in professional fees. Unsurprisingly, London remains the most expensive place to die, with funeral costs rising by 5.4% to an average £5,449 compared with last year. This means that a funeral in London costs 27% more than the average for the UK and 58% more than the cheapest region, Northern Ireland. Direct cremations costs have seen a rise for only the second time from £1,498 to £1,597, but still remain the cheapest option. This option grew in popularity during the pandemic, out of necessity, but has remained popular even in the years following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. For the second year running, direct cremations account for one in five of all funerals, an increase from 18% in 2022, 14% in 2020 and just 3% in 2019. Pure Cremation reported a 12% rise in direct cremations in 2024, and forecasts a further 15% uplift in 2025. What’s more, only 38% of people make provisions to cover the full cost of their funeral, causing financial issues for one in five families; on average, they have to come up with almost £2,371 to cover the costs. Some 33% of people use their savings and investments 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. 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 and 51% don’t even know if their loved one wanted a burial or cremation. Some 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, SunLife found. 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. When asked about their own funerals, some 35% say they want their family to spend as little as possible. Mark Screeton, CEO of SunLife, said: “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 a loved one. But we know families tend to only choose low-cost options when it has been specifically requested by the deceased. Ian Atkinson, chief marketing officer at Pure Cremation, added: “That the average cost of a funeral has hit almost £4,300 is shocking and it’s one of the reasons more people are choosing a pure cremation. It’s less than half the cost, protects against these spiralling prices and lets families choose whatever send-off or remembrance they want, without being burdened by unnecessary funeral expenses.”