Why cremation has overtaken burial in America

CNN (10/12/2021)
  • 55% of Americans are currently getting cremated after death, up from 20% about 30 years ago.
  • The biggest driver of increasing cremations is rising funeral costs, which average about $10K (cremations can be up to 90% less expensive).
  • Also, increasing environmental awareness (land usage) is convincing more people to request post-death cremation.
  • The “Margins of Error” podcast examines these drivers as well as high cremation rates across politically diverse regions (eg Florida, Northeast, West Coast).