UK Funeral Planning Market Report 2025
In 2024, the prepaid funeral plan market recorded its first annual sales growth since 2021.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Outlook for funeral planning
- Opportunities
- Emphasise the peace of mind offered by funeral plans amid rising costs
- Confront discomfort and normalise funeral discussions through family engagement
- Expand sustainable offerings to capture changing demands
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THE MARKET
- Snapshot – market size and forecast
- Consumers and the economic outlook
- Graph 1: consumer prices index inflation rate, 2021-25
- Growing consumer confidence supports recovery in funeral plan sales
- Graph 2: volume of new sales of prepaid funeral plans, 2014-24
- Rising funeral costs highlight the appeal of prepaid plans
- Graph 3: basic attended funeral cost, 2009-2024
- Almost a fifth of funerals were paid for in advance by a funeral plan
- Graph 4: number of deaths, cremations, and pre-arranged funerals, 2016-24
- Affordability concerns drive demand for direct cremations
- Consistent sales growth expected over the next five years…
- Graph 5: market size and forecast for funeral plan sales – volume, 2019-30
- … with demand supported by an ageing population
- Pure Cremation remains a leading provider of prepaid funeral plans
- Graph 6: estimated market shares of the top funeral plan providers, % based on volume sales, 2024
- Regulatory and legislative changes
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THE CONSUMER
- Demand for funeral plans
- Prepaid funeral plans are becoming part of consumers’ longer-term financial thinking
- A third of over-55s plan to delay funeral preparations for at least ten years
- The stigma surrounding death holds back discussions around funeral wishes
- Addressing taboo around death is key to grow funeral plan engagement
- Graph 7: reasons for not making funeral plans, 2025
- Maintaining religious aspects of funerals prioritised by younger age groups
- A lack of clear communication can lead to planning confusion and unfulfilled wishes
- Evolving interests in funeral planning
- Providers must embrace the transformation of funerals into positive commemorations
- Celebrations of life encourage unique ceremonies
- Integrating personalisation can set funeral plans apart from over-50s life insurance
- Information seeking in funeral planning
- Lack of consumer understanding regarding costs dampens growth potential
- Encourage family involvement to increase prepaid plan uptake
- Graph 8: preferred sources of information on prepaid funeral plans, 2025
- Elevate online presence to meet evolving consumer preferences
- Legacy funeral plan providers must adapt to contend with online competitors
- Affordability and funeral planning
- Addressing affordability concerns will drive funeral plan engagement
- Older Brits most interested in direct cremations
- Increase payment flexibility to reassure potential customers with financial concerns
- Sustainability and funeral plans
- Providers must ensure that the range of eco-friendly services available meets user demand
- Emphasise sustainability benefits to encourage wider engagement
- Adoption of new funerary methods will gain a competitive edge with green consumers
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PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING
- Advertising spend on funeral plans climbed in 2024…
- Graph 9: total above-the-line advertising expenditure on funeral expenses insurance, 2021 – 25
- …driven by Pure Cremation’s marketing efforts
- Graph 10: total above-the-line advertising expenditure on funeral expenses insurance, by provider, 2024
- TV maintains its position as the leading advertising channel
- Graph 11: share of total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on funeral expenses insurance, by media type, 2024
- Co-op Funeralcare harnesses the power of individualism
- Golden Charter highlights the selflessness of funeral planning
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and market definition
- The market
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology – fan chart
- Market forecast and prediction intervals
- The consumer
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Other data source methodologies
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
- Abbreviations
UK Funeral Planning Industry – Trends and Insights
- In 2024, the prepaid funeral plan market saw its first annual sales growth since 2021. While only 12% of UK adults have made formal funeral arrangements, an increasing number are turning to prepaid plans to lock in today’s prices and protect against future inflation, driven by ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
- Funerals remain a sensitive topic, with many Brits failing to communicate their wishes, leaving families to face difficult decisions and financial burdens during times of grief. Reframing funeral planning as an act of care and providing tools to facilitate early conversations can help address this challenge.
- Consumer preferences are shifting away from traditional norms towards personalised ceremonies, eco-friendly options, and technology-driven solutions. This evolution reflects a growing desire for funerals to better align with individual values and lifestyles.
- Providers have significant opportunities to innovate and differentiate by offering sustainable options, such as eco-friendly materials and green burial services, as well as digital-only planning platforms that simplify the process for consumers.
- Early adopters of these innovative services will lead the market, creating a more transparent, compassionate, and future-ready funeral planning experience that resonates with modern consumer needs.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
- The market size and forecast of the prepaid funeral plan market, including key factors influencing demand and uptake
- Current market engagement levels and how discomfort discussing death affects interactions with prepaid funeral plans
- Changing interests among funeral planners, such as the increasing popularity of personalised celebrations of life
- Consumers’ preferred channels for seeking information on funerals and the growing influence of technology on these behaviours
- The impact of financial concerns on funeral preferences, including the rising appeal of direct cremations
- The growing interest in sustainable funeral offerings and potential legalisation of alternative final disposition methods
| Report Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Published Date | November 2025 |
| Report Author | Katie Owens-Davies, Financial Services Analyst |
| Historical Market Data Range | 2009-2024 |
| Forecast Range | 2025-2030 |
| Consumer Data | 1,957 internet users aged 18+, July 2025 |
| Consumer Research Questions | Funeral planning status, Financial planning, Funeral preferences, Reasons for not having formal funeral plans, Information seeking, Funeral planning behaviours |
| Leading Companies in the UK Prepaid Funeral Plan Market | Pure Cremation, Distinct Cremations Limited, The Co-operative Funeral Care, Golden Leaves, Golden Charter |
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