3,072,666
resident deaths were registered in the United States in 2024.
That is 903.4 deaths for every 100,000 people.
CDC, National Vital Statistics System, 2024 data, published 2026Reference page
U.S. Funeral & Memorial Statistics
A clear, sourced look at the costs, choices, and trends shaping funeral and memorial planning in the United States.
Last updated August 18, 2026. Each figure links to its original source and lists the data year.
At a glance
Numbers that help put a difficult decision in context.
Funeral and memorial planning can involve many decisions at once, from the kind of service to the ways a person will be remembered afterward. This page brings together reliable public and industry data in one place for families, writers, and anyone researching how remembrance is changing.
Figures are reported as published by their original sources. Costs are national medians, not quotes or estimates for an individual family.
79.0 years
was U.S. life expectancy at birth in 2024.
The figure increased by 0.6 years from 2023.
CDC, Mortality in the United States, 2024, 2024 data, published January 202661.8%
of U.S. dispositions were cremations in 2024.
The Cremation Association of North America says growth has slowed after decades of steady expansion.
Cremation Association of North America, 2024 data, published June 202563.4%
is the projected U.S. cremation rate for 2025.
The National Funeral Directors Association projects a 31.6% burial rate for the same year.
National Funeral Directors Association, 2025 projection, updated September 2025$8,300
was the median cost of an adult funeral with viewing and burial in 2023.
The figure does not include a burial vault.
National Funeral Directors Association General Price List Study, 2023 data, published 2023$6,280
was the median cost of an adult funeral with viewing and cremation in 2023.
This figure includes an alternative cremation casket and urn.
National Funeral Directors Association General Price List Study, 2023 data, published 202361.4%
of consumers said they would be interested in exploring green funeral options.
The figure was up from 55.7% in 2021.
National Funeral Directors Association Consumer Awareness and Preferences Report, 2025 data, updated September 202526%
of funeral providers called did not provide price information after business hours.
The Federal Trade Commission contacted 278 randomly selected providers in its 2024 phone sweep.
Federal Trade Commission, 2024 report, published November 2024What the figures suggest
Families have more ways to make remembrance personal.
Cremation has become the most common disposition choice in the United States, while interest in greener and less traditional arrangements is growing. Those changes give families more flexibility in how they gather, honor a life, and choose keepsakes that feel right for the relationship.
Cost information is still important. The Federal Trade Commission explains that people have the right to get a funeral home’s general price list when asking about arrangements, and families can choose only the goods and services they want, with limited exceptions.
Read the Federal Trade Commission’s funeral pricing checklist ↗
Methodology and sources
How this page is kept useful.
This is a curated reference, not a survey or a substitute for local professional advice. We use named government agencies and established industry organizations, link directly to each source, and keep the original data year beside every number.
Sources currently include the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Funeral Directors Association, and the Cremation Association of North America. The page is reviewed regularly, and figures are updated when a source releases newer data.
Cite this page
Butterfly Memories. "U.S. Funeral & Memorial Statistics: Costs, Choices, and Trends." Updated August 18, 2026. https://butterflymemories.website/funeral-memorial-statistics
A personal way to remember