Memorial, Funeral & Grief Statistics (US)
A sourced reference for journalists and researchers. Every figure carries a named source organisation, a year, and a link.
How this page is maintained
Figures 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 11 were re-checked against their source on 2026-08-20. The CDC mortality figures were updated from NCHS Data Brief 521 (2023 data) to Data Brief 548 (2024 data, published January 2026). Remaining figures were verified at compilation on 2026-07-30 and carry their original confidence flags.
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Scan2Remember. "Memorial, Funeral & Grief Statistics (US)." Last verified 2026-08-20. https://scan2remember.com/pages/memorial-statistics
Cremation vs. Burial
The US cremation rate reached 63.4% in 2025 — roughly double the burial rate of 31.6%.
63.4% cremation / 31.6% burial · NFDA 2025 Cremation & Burial Report · 2025 · source · re-checked 2026-08-20
By 2045, NFDA projects cremation will account for 82.3% of US dispositions while burial falls to 13.0% — a cremation-to-burial ratio of more than six to one.
82.3% cremation / 13.0% burial (2045 projection) · NFDA 2025 Cremation & Burial Report · 2025 (projection to 2045) · source · re-checked 2026-08-20
NFDA projects that by 2035 the cremation rate will exceed 50% in every US state and the District of Columbia.
>50% in all 50 states + DC by 2035 · NFDA 2025 Cremation & Burial Report · 2025 (projection to 2035) · source · re-checked 2026-08-20
Funeral & Memorial Costs
The national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023.
$8,300 · NFDA 2023 General Price List Study · 2023 · source
The national median cost of a funeral with cremation and viewing was $6,280 in 2023.
$6,280 · NFDA 2023 General Price List Study · 2023 · source
The median cost of a funeral with casket and burial rose 5.8% over two years (from $7,848 to $8,300), while the general inflation rate over that period was 13.6% — meaning funeral costs rose slower than inflation.
+5.8% (vs. 13.6% CPI) · NFDA 2023 General Price List Study · 2021–2023 · source
The median cost of a funeral with cremation rose 8.1% over two years (from $5,810 to $6,280).
+8.1% · NFDA 2023 General Price List Study · 2021–2023 · source
Death & Mortality Basics
A total of 3,072,666 resident deaths were registered in the United States in 2024 — 18,298 fewer than in 2023.
3,072,666 deaths · CDC / National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS Data Brief No. 548) · 2024 · source · re-checked 2026-08-20
US life expectancy at birth was 79.0 years in 2024, up 0.6 year from 2023.
79.0 years · CDC / National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS Data Brief No. 548) · 2024 · source · re-checked 2026-08-20
In 2023, life expectancy was 75.8 years for males and 81.1 years for females.
75.8 (M) / 81.1 (F) · CDC / NCHS · 2023 · source
The US age-adjusted death rate fell 3.8% to 722.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2024, down from 750.5 in 2023.
722.1 per 100,000 · CDC / National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS Data Brief No. 548) · 2024 · source · re-checked 2026-08-20
The US population age 65 and older rose to 61.2 million in 2024, now representing 18.0% of the total population.
61.2 million (18.0%) · US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates · 2024 · source
The number of Americans aged 65+ is projected to grow from about 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050 — a 42% increase.
82 million by 2050 (+42%) · Population Reference Bureau (US Census-based projection) · 2022→2050 projection · source
Grief & Bereavement
The American Psychiatric Association estimates that roughly 7% to 10% of bereaved adults experience prolonged grief disorder (persistent, impairing grief).
7–10% · American Psychiatric Association · 2022 (PGD added to DSM-5-TR) · source
A systematic review and meta-analysis found a pooled prolonged-grief-disorder prevalence of 9.8% among bereaved adults.
9.8% (95% CI 6.8–14.0) · Lundorff et al., Journal of Affective Disorders (meta-analysis) · 2017 · source
Complicated/prolonged grief affects roughly 10% of bereaved people after a natural death, rising to about 50% when the death is due to unnatural causes (homicide, suicide, accident).
~10% natural / ~50% unnatural · Population-based study, PMC (peer-reviewed) · 2020 · source
Grief is estimated to cost US employers roughly $75 billion per year in lost productivity.
~$75 billion/year · Grief Recovery Institute (advocacy org estimate) · reported 2023 · source
LOWER CONFIDENCE — advocacy estimate
Digital Memorials, Personalization & Green/Eco Trends
68% of respondents expressed interest in green funeral or natural burial options in the 2024 NFDA Consumer Awareness & Preferences Survey.
68% · NFDA 2024 Consumer Awareness & Preferences Survey · 2024 · source
Consumer interest in green funeral options climbed from 55.7% in 2021 to 60% in 2023 to 68% in 2024 — a clear multi-year upward trend.
55.7% → 60% → 68% · NFDA Consumer Awareness & Preferences Surveys · 2021, 2023, 2024 · source
NFDA identifies cremation, personalization, and green burial as consumers' top funeral preferences — now ranked above traditional elements such as religion.
qualitative (top-3 preferences) · NFDA 2024 Consumer Awareness & Preferences Survey · 2024 · source
The global digital funeral services market was valued at about $1.51 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $2.62 billion by 2033 (CAGR 7.14%).
$1.51B (2024) → $2.62B (2033) · Market Growth Reports (market-research firm) · 2024 · source
LOWER CONFIDENCE — vendor forecast
Pet Ownership & Pet Loss
Americans spent $158 billion on their pets in 2024.
$158 billion · American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 actual sales data · 2024 · source
An estimated 95 million US households own a pet.
95 million households · APPA 2025 National Pet Owners Survey · 2025 · source
Dogs live in 42.6% of US households (about 56.3 million homes); the US pet-dog population is 87.3 million.
42.6% / 56.3M households / 87.3M dogs · AVMA Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook · 2025 · source
Cats live in 32.6% of US households (about 43.1 million homes); the US pet-cat population is 76.3 million.
32.6% / 43.1M households / 76.3M cats · AVMA Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook · 2025 · source
Pet owners who lost a pet were 27% more likely to develop prolonged-grief-disorder symptoms than those who had not — a rate sitting between losing a parent (31%) and losing a sibling (21%).
+27% · peer-reviewed pet-loss grief study (reported via Discover Magazine / phys.org) · 2026 · source
LOWER CONFIDENCE — single peer-reviewed study
Cemeteries, Grave Markers & Industry Size
The US Cemetery Services industry was worth $6.4 billion in 2024 (down 1.1% year over year).
$6.4 billion · IBISWorld · 2024 · source
The US Funeral Homes industry was worth $20.3 billion in 2024 (up 1.8% year over year).
$20.3 billion · IBISWorld · 2024 · source
Figures we checked and excluded
These circulate widely but could not be traced to a verifiable primary source, so they are not on this page.
- "97% of Americans consider pets family" — traced only to a marketing poll with no verifiable primary source.
- State-by-state cremation rates — referenced by NFDA but not in the public release.
- "90% of workers find 3 bereavement days inadequate" and "51% leave within a year" — single vendor poll, no published methodology.
Compiled 2026-07-30 · last verified 2026-08-20 · 28 figures · maintained by Scan2Remember. Spotted an error or a newer release? Email daniel@scan2remember-team.com and it will be corrected.