Every year, SunLife, an over-50s life insurance company, releases a report on funeral trends. It’s not perfect, but it does give us a valuable snapshot of how funerals are evolving - how much they cost, how people are choosing to say goodbye, and how we are rethinking the way we honour those we love.
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SunLife has been tracking funeral prices and trends for over 21 years. This long-term data helps us see how funeral choices have changed over time. However, the report has faced criticism from funeral industry professionals for its research methods, vague definitions, and the company’s commercial interests. Some see this report as a marketing tool, nudging people toward costly funeral plans. Others believe that any conversation about death and dying is valuable, especially if it encourages people to talk openly about their wishes.
Despite this, the report always makes headlines. This year, it announced that the cost of dying in 2025 has risen to £9,797, including funeral services, professional fees, and "send-off" costs - a 1.4% increase from last year. Given that funeral costs have risen 134% since 2004, another price increase isn’t surprising.
But here’s the real takeaway: funerals are changing. And while the cost of funerals is rising, so too is our freedom to shape them.
Here are my key takeaways from the report.
One of the biggest shifts in recent years has been the rise of direct cremation - a simple, no-fuss option with no formal service. Just a few years ago, only 3% of people chose this. Now, 1 in 5 funerals (20%) are direct cremations.
But here’s the interesting part - 90% of families who choose direct cremation still gather in some way. It might be a formal ceremony, an intimate gathering at home, or a scattering of ashes on a favourite hillside.
This tells us something profound: it’s not about the funeral itself, but about the act of coming together. And that is something we are redefining in our own way, in our own time. I've got a blog post on this very subject coming up soon, so keep an eye out!
The report also found that 51% of funerals arranged by funeral directors were religious. This means that 49% - nearly half - are non-religious.
This shift matters. It reflects the growing demand for personal, heartfelt ceremonies that focus on the individual, rather than following a set religious format. This is where Humanist celebrants like me step in, to create ceremonies that honour a life in a way that feels authentic, personal, and deeply meaningful.
Alongside this, the tone of funerals is shifting. In 2018, only 31% of people described the ceremony they arranged as a celebration of life. Now, that number has risen to 51%.
This doesn’t mean grief disappears. But it does mean that more people are choosing to focus on the light, not just the loss.
I hear it all the time from families I work with:
"We want it to feel like them."
"We want to remember the good."
"We want to celebrate who they were."
And this isn’t just happening when someone has lived to a grand old age. Even when life has been shorter or more complicated, families still want to hold space for love, laughter, and gratitude.
Because grief and joy can sit side by side. Saying goodbye doesn’t have to be heavy with formality - it can be honest, heartfelt, uplifting and full of meaning.
Another shift is the move towards personalisation. More families are shaping funerals around the person they love, rather than simply following tradition.
People are asking: What would feel true to them?
It might be:
- Playing their favourite song as people arrive, rather than traditional hymns.
- Holding the ceremony somewhere special like a garden, a woodland, a beach, rather than a crematorium.
- Alternative hearses, like motorbike sidecars or rainbow-coloured vehicles.
- Encouraging guests to wear bright colours, or casual clothing.
- Filling the space with stories, humour, and warmth, rather than rigid formality.
- Taking time to acknowledge the quirks and passions that made them unique
These small choices make a big difference. They bring comfort in grief, helping people feel connected- not just to the loss, but to the life that was lived.
One of the most striking findings in the report was this: less than 1% of people know all of their loved one’s funeral wishes.
This is something I see all the time. Families tell me:
"We tried to talk about it, but they didn’t want to."
"They never thought they were going to die."
"I know they wanted to be cremated, but beyond that, I have no idea."
Sometimes, this means the person who died genuinely didn’t mind how their funeral was handled. But more often, it leaves loved ones unsure, second-guessing, and wondering if they’re making the right decisions.
It’s no surprise that 35% of people don’t want their families to struggle financially to pay for their funeral. But in the rawness of grief, it’s easy to feel pressure - should we spend more? Will it feel enough?
The simple act of writing down your wishes can remove this weight. There are some excellent resources to help, like Hospice UK’s “My Funeral Wishes” or forms from the Bereavement Advice Centre.
So. Here are my key takeaways from this year's report:
✅ Funeral costs are rising, but so too is our ability to shape them in ways that feel true.
✅ Direct cremations now account for 1 in 5 funerals, showing a shift towards simpler, low-cost options.
✅ Almost half of funerals are non-religious, reflecting a move towards personalised, meaningful ceremonies.
✅ More people want a celebration of life - choosing joy, storytelling, and gratitude over formality.
✅ Funeral traditions are being reimagined - with more personal choices, unique venues, and meaningful rituals.
✅ We’re still not talking enough about our funeral wishes - leaving loved ones to make difficult decisions alone.
✅ Planning ahead can ease the burden, helping families feel confident that they are doing the right thing.
Ultimately, what matters most is not how much we spend, but how we remember.
And that? That is something we can shape with our own hands, hearts, and stories.
