The Bottom Line: Funeral Costs Push Trend Toward Cremation

Dying isn't cheap these days - not if you want a decent funeral service, let alone one with all the bells and whistles. Burial costs have hit new highs, with the average cost of a funeral in Canada running around $6000.

In part, the higher costs stem from consolidation in the funeral industry back in the mid-2000s. At that time, a few large corporations bought up mom-and-pop funeral homes and then hiked up prices. Consumers didn't like the higher costs and started a trend toward cremation as a cheaper (and more environmentally friendly) alternative to burial.

A cremation costs roughly a quarter of what a traditional burial would cost, so it's no surprise that, according to the Funeral Service Association of Canada, the percentage of deaths cremated rose drastically from 38.7 per cent in 1994 to 46.2 percent in 1999. While more recent statistics aren't available, the trend is similar worldwide. Cremations as a percentage of deaths are now near 36% in the US and well above 70% in the UK and other parts of the world.

With fewer people following traditional religious teachings, some of which forbid cremation, it follows that cremations and other alternatives to burials will only increase in popularity. The variety of options is already staggering. Companies like Eternal Reefs help mourners incorporate their loved one's ashes into a lasting undersea memorial. Scattering services are growing in number as well, allowing for even more choices as to where one's ashes might be released. There's even a Swiss company that transforms ashes into diamonds, which can be worn by the deceased's loved ones as a cherished memento. One thing's for sure: we'll keep on dying, and this final farewell will continue to evolve as tastes and the list of possibilities grow.

Click on the image below to find out how funeral costs have soared, and the growing number of alternative memorials available.

SLIDESHOW: THE HIGH COST OF FUNERALS