One in five now say goodbye to their loved ones without a service as funeral costs more than double over 20 years - while map reveals the areas where they are most expensive

SunLife study interviewed 100 funeral directors from all over the UKFound average cost of a funeral had soared since 2004 from £1,835 to £4,14182% of funeral directors said mourners shouldn't bother with flowers

More and more people are saying goodbye to their deceased loved ones without a funeral due to service costs doubling in the last twenty years.

An in-depth study by over-50s experts SunLife, called the Cost of Dying report, interviewed 100 funeral directors from all over the UK and 1,500 Brits who have organised funerals in the past year.

It found the average cost of a funeral – either cremation or burial, including a coffin, limo and all undertaker fees – had soared since 2004 from £1,835 to £4,141 – a rise of 126% in two decades.

The study also found that 20% of Brits had a direct cremation – in which there is no service, rising from just 3% in 2019.

A total of 82% of the funeral directors interviewed said mourners shouldn’t bother with flowers, saying they are ‘too expensive’.

The study found the average cost of a funeral – either cremation or burial, including a coffin, limo and all undertaker fees – had soared since 2004 from £1,835 to £4,141 – a rise of 126% in two decades

The most expensive place to hold a funeral in the UK is London, with an average cost of £5,171.

Compared to other measures of how the country is faring in terms of the cost of living and prices in general, funeral costs has soared higher than most.

In 2004, the average house price in the UK was just over £150,000, compared to £288,000 now – a 92% rise.

In the same year, a pint of lager would have set you back £2.34, but now would cost you an average of £4.47 – a rise of 95% in the two decades.

Similarly, the price of a pint of milk has soared 92%, from 36p in 2004 to 69p now.

Wages have risen 76% in the same time period, from gross weekly pay of £388 to £682 now, and petrol has rise 84%, from 78p-a-litre in 2004 to around 144p-a-litre now.

None of them can compete with the 126% rise in funeral costs over the past 20 years.

Mark Screeton, CEO at SunLife said: ‘This year’s Cost of Dying report – our 20th edition – shows just how high costs have become over the past 20 years.

‘The cost of a basic funeral has increased 126% since 2004, far higher than the rate of inflation over the same period.

‘However, there are things you can do to make funerals more affordable.

‘For those organising a funeral now, our report has lots of tips from funeral directors and those who have recently organised a funeral on how to cut costs.

‘For example, more and more people are choosing a direct cremation, followed by a celebration of life held at home.

In 2024, the average cost of a funeral is a whopping £4,141, a rise of 126% in two decades

He added: ‘The average cost of direct cremations has dropped once again – now at £1,498 – over £2,000 less than a traditional cremation.

‘Other top tips including holding a home wake, having a cheaper coffin, spending less on flowers, using social media instead of announcements in the paper, or using your own cars instead of limousines.

‘For those who are not having to worry about a funeral just yet, something to consider would be to start the conversation with loved ones, so they know what you do and don’t want them to spend money on, and where the money will come from.

‘You may also wish to make some provision to cover your funeral costs so that when the time comes, your loved ones are not having to worry about money at an emotionally difficult time.’