For the second year in a row, the cost of a funeral has gone down. The cost of a funeral is now £3,953, down from £4,056 in 2021. However, rising professional fees (such as probate) and send-off costs (such as venue hire and catering) have caused the overall cost of dying to increase to £9,200. This is just shy of the
highest since our reporting began – 2020’s £9,263. More and more we’re seeing people report actively
trying to cut back, to keep their funeral spend as low as possible – no surprise given the current economic
situation. Unfortunately, we’re also seeing fewer people covering funeral costs with savings and investments, and more having to borrow money. On a more positive note, an overwhelming majority
of funeral directors report that the industry has improved in light of the 2021 CMA (Competition
and Markets Authority) regulations requiring more transparent pricing. As a result, we hope to see the
impact and benefits for consumers too, with more people shopping around to get the best price. See
page 20 for more on this. As always, to help people navigate these challenging times, we’ve included plenty of practical tips on how to plan a funeral and keep costs down – from both funeral directors and people who’ve recently organised a send-off.
I hope you enjoy exploring the latest developments in funeral costs and trends in our 2023 report.
Mark Screeton
CEO, SunLife