Cremation Is On The Rise; Here’s Why…

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Lifesong Funerals under Uncategorized
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In 1980, the national cremation rate for the U.S. was just over 9%. 2015 is projected to be the first year that cremations overtake burials. And by 2030, the national cremation rate is projected to be over 70%.

Three major shifts have occurred in society:

The first is demographic.   People don’t remain in the town they grew up in. It makes sense to have a traditional burial in the family plot when Mom, Dad and all the kids grew up and live in the same town; Especially when everyone in that town is like an extended family. But what if all three kids live in three different states and Mom and Dad decide to relocate from Indiana to Florida to spend the rest of their days?! The old family plot has become an inconvenient and distant memory. Plus Mom always said her true love was the beach and to scatter her ashes in the ocean.

The second is cost.   According to the National Funeral Director’s Association, the national median cost of a funeral for calendar year 2012 was $7,045. If a vault is included, something that is typically required by a cemetery, the median cost is $8,343. The cost for a cremation is a fraction of a burial ranging $800-$3,500 depending on the types of services selected. When a death is unexpected, a couple thousand dollars is a much easier pill to swallow.

The third shift is religion.   More and more Americans decline to be involved in organized worship and now less than 20% of Americans regularly attend church. This puts less pressure on people to host a traditional funeral. In fact, before 1963 the Catholic Church didn’t allow cremation and required the body of the deceased be present for a Mass of Christian Burial. Around this time the Church became more open to allowing cremation and this method of disposition became more popular among Catholics. Prior to 1997, cremations had to take place after the funeral Mass so the body could be present during the rite. Since then, the Vatican has granted permission to allow funeral Masses with the presence of the ashes.

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