Why Burial Is Declining in America- What Research Says
Why burial is declining in America- it’s a hot-button topic. It inspired a Harvard Business Review case study highlighting a shift in the funeral industry, as it moves away from burial and direct cremation becomes more popular. Learn what it means for related businesses and the families they serve in Los Angeles, Orange County, and throughout the country.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Case Study Summary
- Why Burial Is Declining in America: The Numbers Don’t Lie
- Cremation vs. Burial: At a Glance Comparison
- What the Case Study Gets Right About Direct Cremation- and What It Misses
- The Impacts of COVID on the Funeral Industry
- Other Factors That Contributed to the Funeral Industry Shift
- Opal is a Leader in Innovative Cremation
- FAQs
- Additional Resources
Key Takeaways- Why Burial Is Declining in America
- The Harvard Business Review published a case study illustrating the shift from burial to cremation.
- Various factors contribute to this shift, including lower prices, eco-friendliness, simplicity, flexibility, and changing attitudes toward religion.
- COVID accelerated the shift, but other factors made it likely to occur regardless of lockdowns.
Introduction
The funeral industry is shifting as cremation is becoming more popular and burials are losing steam. Anyone who works in the industry knows it, some consumers might know it, but the fact that it’s published as part of a Harvard Business Review fictional case study takes it to a new level.
After all, HBR isn’t a trade publication; it’s a business school staple. The report validates the shift, making it worth considering for funeral home owners still married to traditional burial. It puts direct cremation at the center, setting trends for what’s ahead.
HBR’s Case Study Summary
The case study focuses on the fictional character Javier Montoya, CEO of the Monteverde Memorial Group. A 76-year-old traditionalist, Montoya is constantly made aware of the industry’s shift by his colleagues and family, who point out the high costs of running a funeral home and the declining demand for his services. But money is not his main motivator.
Montoya also sees his memorial park as a gathering place for families. As a devout Catholic, he believes a person should have a final resting place on consecrated ground. Additionally, he finds the thought of incinerating a body unsettling.
But his argument is more than moral. Montoya is also concerned that the shift to cremation may just be a passing trend. Another point is the lower profit margins associated with cremation and the lost customer revenue from maintenance, upkeep, and upgrades.
The case study concludes with advice from Artem Manilov, founder and CEO of Tending, a subscription-based service for headstone restoration and grave maintenance. He suggests Montoya should embrace both business models.
Why Burial Is Declining in America: The Numbers Don’t Lie
So, why burial is declining in America? The shift is backed by hard evidence. A recent National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) report reveals a projected cremation rate of 63.4% in 2025, more than double the burial rate of 31.6%. By 2045, the cremation rate is projected to increase to 82.3% while the burial rate declines to 13%.
So what’s behind the shift? Here are some solid reasons:
- Cost: According to S. Funerals Online, the average burial costs $7848 and can easily rise to $10,000 when a vault and cemetery plot are added. Meanwhile, Choice Mutual shows an average of $1467 for cremation.
- Simplicity: Cremation is typically a simple process that eliminates the need to plan a service, order a casket, and purchase a plot. It reduces stress while families are grieving and allows them plenty of options for celebrating life when they are ready to begin the planning process.
- Portability: A cemetery can be a gathering place, but what happens when people move? They need to fly in or drive to visit their loved one’s grave. It can also be difficult for people to plan funerals from another state. Cremation can be planned from anywhere, ashes can be shipped, and they can travel with you across the world.
- Eco-Friendliness: Cremation is much more eco-friendly than burial. It uses fewer resources, emits less pollution, and requires no ongoing maintenance.
- Changing Attitudes Toward Death: Burial’s past popularity was largely tied to religion. Many religions preach the importance of preserving the body in the afterlife. However, in modern times, people are becoming less religious, making cremation a popular choice.
Expert Quote
“When families realize cremation can be every bit as meaningful as burial, it changes everything. They start on their grief journey on the same footing as those choosing burial.”
Douglas R. “Dutch” Nie II, NFDA’s 2023-2024 President, in the article Navigating the Cremation Surge: Lessons from Dutch Nie and NFDA’s 2025 Cremation & Burial Report
Cremation vs. Burial: At a Glance Comparison
| Direct Cremation | Traditional Burial | |
| Average Cost | $1,000- $2,000 | $8,300 – $10,000+ |
| Planning Timeline | Can be arranged on a single day online and by phone | Typically requires in-person arrangements carried out over days |
| Geographic Flexibility | Remains can be shipped, traveled with, or scattered anywhere | Tied to a specific cemetery location |
| Environmental Impact | Lower resource use, no embalming chemicals, no land use | Embalming chemicals, casket materials, ongoing land maintenance |
| Memorialization Options | Celebration of life, sea scattering, cremation diamonds, Parting Stones, keepsakes | Graveside service, headstone, cemetery visits |
| Religious Considerations | Some faiths frown on cremation | Historically preferred by Catholic, Orthodox Jewish, and Islamic traditions |
| Timing of Memorial | Can be held weeks or months after death, on the family’s timeline | Typically held within days of death |
See how Opal’s direct cremation pricing and process compares for Los Angeles and Orange County families.
What the Case Study Gets Right About Direct Cremation- and What It Misses
While based on fiction, the case study highlights a very real problem. It emphasizes the dilemma of legacy providers whose entire infrastructure is built on burial. The study raises both financial and moral issues that providers must consider when deciding whether to switch things up.
However, it misses the mark in presenting cremation as a pivot. For forward-thinking providers, it was never a pivot. It was the foundation on which their companies were built.
The HBR study presents cremation as a strategic pivot, a difficult but necessary survival move for some providers. For companies like Opal, it was never a response to industry demand; it was the premise on which our company was built. The infrastructure, the pricing model, and the partnerships were built on cremation from the start, not retrofitted to accommodate it.
The Impacts of COVID on the Funeral Industry
During COVID, lockdowns reshaped the industry.
- Restrictions were making it impossible for families to travel for funerals and conduct services, which could easily be put off to a later date with cremation.
- The infrastructure was overwhelmed by an increase in deaths, making it difficult for funeral homes to handle all the demands of a burial. Cremation was a more manageable solution.
- Cost pressure also played a role, as the world suffered economic hardship during the pandemic. Cremation won out as a more affordable solution.
Other Factors That Contributed to the Funeral Industry Shift
While COVID contributed to the massive growth in cremation, it was likely inevitable given the aforementioned factors, including secularization, environmental consciousness, and the economy. However, other factors were at play.
For example, consumer skepticism toward the funeral industry played a role. Publications such as Jessica Mitford’s The American Way of Death, released in 1963, highlight funeral providers’ tendency to charge families inflated prices through hidden fees, taking advantage of their emotional states, their need to make arrangements quickly, and their lack of knowledge on the burial process.
While these issues exist with cremation models, reduced expenses overall mean families have less to lose.
The second factor is people’s changing relationships to death and memorialization. Once upon a time, death was a somber occasion marked by a gloomy burial. Today, families are leaning towards joyous celebrations of life.
Celebration of life options become more flexible with cremation, including sea scatterings, cremation diamonds, and Parting Stones. They can also be planned after cremation, giving families time to grieve and allowing them to schedule something when they are not as stressed.
Curious what transparent, upfront cremation pricing actually looks like? See Opal’s pricing →
The skepticism hasn’t disappeared. It’s simply evolved. Today’s consumers research providers online, compare prices, and actively seek out companies with transparent pricing before they ever make a call. For direct cremation providers who built their model around accessibility and upfront pricing, that shift in consumer behavior isn’t a challenge to adapt to. It’s the environment they were designed for.
Opal Is a Leader in Innovative Cremation
While Harvard Business Review makes a valid point, it highlights something innovative companies have known all along: cremation is the way of the future. Opal has long recognized the value of cremation as a simple, eco-friendly, and affordable solution, and has established itself as a leader in Los Angeles, Orange County, and throughout Southern California, offering transparent pricing and no hidden fees.
We continue to innovate with boutique services like cremation diamonds, sea scatterings, and parting stones. Opal recognizes the need for personalization, and we are here to answer the call. Our team goes out of its way to please and delight our customers.
Ready to see pricing or have questions about how direct cremation works? Contact us to learn more about our direct cremation services in Los Angeles and Orange County. No pressure, no obligation!
FAQs
Will cremation eventually replace burial completely?
It’s unlikely that cremation will completely replace burial. However, based on the current trend, it’s expected to decline significantly.
Did COVID permanently change the funeral industry?
While some can view it that way, COVID didn’t truly change the funeral industry. It pushed it further in the direction it was already headed.
Can you still have a funeral or memorial service with cremation?
Yes, you can have a funeral or memorial service with cremation. Services can be planned before or after cremation occurs and can be customized to your family’s wishes.
Is direct cremation the same as traditional cremation?
No, direct cremation is not the same as traditional cremation. With traditional cremation, a service is held in advance. Direct cremation means people are cremated without a service. Services are often scheduled after the fact.
Why did Harvard Business Review publish a study on cremation?
HBR has published case studies on industries undergoing significant disruptions, and the funeral industry is one of them. The alarming rise in cremation rates, accompanied by a decline in burial rates, represents a notable shift that warrants attention.
