How many people are cremated every year

Cremation, which was previously seen as a Buddhist practice, has now become a nation-wide tradition, reaching the astonishing Since the s, there has been a change in how South Koreans look to death, with more preferring cremation, according to a new research released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The new research showed that more and more Koreans are also interested in eco-friendly ways to dispose cremains. Currently, popular options in South Korea include planting cremated remains, storing cremains in high quality cremation urns for ashes and other. Cremation was introduced almost 30 years ago in China as an efficient way to save valuable land for farming that could help feed the country's rising population.

Nowadays, more Chinese have accepted the concept of cremation, and they are beginning to accept other alternatives ecological ways of burial and storing the ashes of their loved ones at home. As ceramic is notably popular in China, Japan and most of Asia, ceramic urns for ashes are becoming more and more preferred. Cremating the dead was an ancient ritual and practice in India. It was observed among Buddhists and Hindus from well before the start of the Common Era, and was later adopted by Sikhs.

Today cremation is the most popular type of ritual in the United Kingdom. However, this has not always been the case. Although humans have practised cremation for thousands of years, Christian religion and the influence of the church in the Kingdom stopped it happening here for many decades.

This was because the church rejected it, believing it to be pagan and a practice, which would make the restoration of the body impossible. As well as the national and international statistics given below, you can find more statistics by purchasing a subscription to our journal, Pharos International , and receiving our annual dedicated statistics issue.

Year Sign In. You do not have permission to perform this action. For access, please contact the website administrator. WISH In , only 3. The projected cremation rate for is astronomically higher at According to the National Funeral Directors Association US cremation statistics, the projected cremation rate will continue to rise in the coming years. Over Environmental concerns, fewer religious prohibitions, a growing preference for personalized and less traditional services, and our ability to prearrange our final needs are also contributing factors.

While cost varies based on whether a service is planned and the type of service chosen, the average price for cremations is still much lower than the average funeral and burial service.

Decreased household discretionary income means many families do not have the finances to arrange and pay for a traditional funeral and burial service. In this light, cremation is viewed as a less expensive yet loving and respectful alternative.

Some arguments against burial include:. Embalming fluids are a mixture of formaldehyde, ethanol, methanol, and other organic solvents. In United States cemeteries, , gallons of embalming fluid are buried each year.

Formaldehyde has been named a class 1 carcinogenic compound by the World Health Organization and has been linked to brain cancer and leukemia. In addition, it can leak from caskets, has been detected near streams near cemeteries and in the wastewater of funeral homes.

Yet, contrary to popular belief, embalming is not generally required. Hardwood and metal caskets have a slow decomposition rate. As a result, roughly 30 million board feet 71, meter3 of casket wood is felled every year to keep up with American demand.

The amount of steel used in caskets and vaults used yearly in North America is equivalent to the amount used in the Golden Gate Bridge. The amount of concrete used in vaults could build a highway from San Francisco to Poland. With families moving throughout the country, a single burial plot in their hometown cemetery makes less sense.

A traditional burial also requires much more immediacy, which can be stressful to coordinate and heartbreaking to miss. Cremation allows the family to schedule a memorial service around the availability of each member and provides more time for them to make travel arrangements.

There are also more options for the memorial service because ashes can be buried, kept at home, or scattered in a meaningful location. Many unique ways to scatter and store ashes make the memorial much more personal and significant. While the prices for many goods and services are increasing rapidly, the cost of a funeral is not growing as fast as the rate of inflation.

The overall rate of inflation was The cost does not take into account cemetery, monument or marker costs or miscellaneous cash-advance charges, such as for flowers or an obituary. Costs for goods and services vary by region. All data published on this page is based on the latest available government, industry, and research reports; data is updated as new information becomes available.