Ageing population boosts growth of funeral directors over past decade
Despite there being more funeral directors than ever on the country’s high streets, industry bosses have warned that there’s ‘no regulation’
The funeral industry in the UK has seen a 28% jump in the number of funeral directors over the past 10 years, according to a study conducted by BoldData.
This rise has been attributed to the ageing population which has increased by 20% over the past decade, with nearly one in five people in England and Wales currently aged 65 or over.
The increased demand for funeral services is further highlighted in the demographic shift, which went from 4.015 funeral directors in 2014 to 5.125 in 2024.
Despite there being more funeral directors than ever on the country’s high streets, industry bosses have warned that there’s “no regulation” as companies are not required to belong to a trade association.
NAFD chief executive, Andrew Judd, has credited the rise in the number of funeral directors to the fact there are “no barriers to entry” due to the lack of statutory regulation.
Judd said: “At the moment anyone can set up as a funeral director, I think that’s one of the reasons that there are so many, there are no barriers to entry.
“Generally most funeral directors do a very good job, but at the moment there’s still the opportunity for someone to start a business and operate it outside of scrutiny.”
Funeral directors can voluntarily become members of industry bodies such as the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF).
However, firms can choose not to take part in this voluntary regulation and can operate without scrutiny.