Nine in 10 Irish people (94%) over the age of 50 worry that their funeral costs will be a “financial burden” on their families, according to a new survey from Red C, unveiled by An Post Insurance.
A total of 605 adults took part in the survey, which looked at the attitudes to death and funerals in Ireland.
It highlighted the average cost of a funeral at approximately €6,252, according to survey participants who have paid for a funeral in the past five years.
This is a 14% increase on the cost of funerals in just two years (€5,484) and is a significant 42% increase since 2016 (€4,062), according to An Post.
Those who haven’t yet paid for a funeral, at 72% of participants, estimated that it will cost approximately €6,409.
Funeral plans
A total of 68% of participants surveyed reported having made no actual plan for their funeral.
Many said they have had conversations with their loved ones about their funeral preferences, while 88% have not included their funeral preference and wishes in their will.
Cremation is now the preferred burial option, with 47% of those aged over 50 stating that they would choose this option.
39% of respondents expressed a wish for a traditional burial, while 4% would rather their body be donated to science or have an “alternative” style of burial such as a “green burial”.
Another 11% said they have given no thought to how they want to be laid to rest.
Traditions such as shaking hands; “good hospitality”; a singsong; and telling stories about the deceased were outlined as “significant” by the respondents.
Head of marketing at An Post Insurance, Suzanne McGuinness said: “It’s great to hear that attitudes are becoming more positive around the discussion of death, and that Irish people are becoming more pro-active in forward planning.”