MINTEL FUNERALS REPORT: SUMMARY
METHOD
Mintel conducted consumer research in May 2014 on a sample of 904 adults aged 50+.
FUNERAL CONVERSATIONS
Nearly two thirds (64%) of over 50s were happy to talk about their funeral wishes with family
and friends and nearly half were having conversations about their funeral wishes with families
(48%).
Only a fifth (21%) said they would not want to talk about the private subject of funerals,
although a further 15% said they would find it awkward.
There were differences by social grade with 67% of ABC1s open to discussing funerals and 60%
of C2DEs feeling this was a private matter. Similarly, there were differences by education level
with 71% of those educated to at least degree level happy to talk about their funerals compared
with just 56% of those with no formal qualifications.
There were also differences by age with 67% of over 75s being happy to talk about their funeral
wishes compared with 61% of 50-64 year olds. Over 75s were generally more prepared for the
end of life than lower age groups: 78% had made a will, 59% had discussed their funeral wishes
with a family member and 42% had savings set aside for a funeral.
72% of those who organised a funeral in the past 10 years were happy to discuss their own
funeral wishes and only 12% felt it was a private subject. The respective figures for those who
had not been involved in organising a funeral were 59% and 26%.
52% of females had discussed their funeral wishes with a family member, compared with 43%
of males.
FUNERAL PLANNING
Only 16% had a written set of funeral arrangements in place but:
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Only 19% said they did not really mind what type of funeral or funeral arrangements
they had – the assumption being that 80% do mind.
61% felt it was important to make at least some plans for the kind of funeral they’d like
to have.
34% of those aged 75 or over had a written set of funeral arrangements in place compared with
just 8% of males aged 50-64.
69% of females felt it was important to plan for their funeral compared with 53% of men.
Similarly, 26% of men said they did not really mind what type of funeral they have compared
with just 14% of women.
Retired single people were more likely to have made some arrangements for their funeral in
advance than retired couples (66% v 59%)
There was a clear relationship between involvement in organising a funeral and planning for
their own funeral. 65% of those who thought funerals were a private matter had not been
involved in making funeral arrangements. However, 67% of those who had been responsible for
organising a funeral felt that it was important to make at least some plans for their own funeral.
The main preference was for cremation (49%) rather than burial (18%) and few expressed
interest in eco coffins (15%), personalising their funeral (15%) or green funerals (8%). Those
most interested in eco-coffins were females aged 50-64 (23%).
Over 50s liked the idea of the funeral being a celebration of life (68% agree). This was
particularly the case for females aged 50-64 where 76% agreed. 58% of over 50s also felt it was
important to have wider family and/or friends present at a funeral.
RELIGIOUS FUNERALS
Over 50s were polarised on whether it was important to have a religious aspect to a funeral
with 39% agreeing and 32% disagreeing. Over 75s were most likely to agree (51%) as were
females aged 65+ (48%). Only 30% of males ages 50-64 agreed. Those who had been
responsible for organising funerals were more likely to agree (45%) as were those who had a
written set of funeral arrangements in place (48).
HELPING TO ARRANGE FUNERALS
32% of over 50s had been solely or mainly responsible for organising a funeral over the past 10
years and a further 17% had given advice or helped out with funeral arrangements. Funeral
arrangers tended to be aged 50-75, and not the over 75s. Those of social grades ABC1 were
more active in funeral arranging than those of social grades C2DE. Females tended to be the
main decision maker when there was a death in the family.
Of those who had helped to arrange funerals in the past 10 years, the main ways they had
helped were:
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Helping to make arrangements (76%)
Helping others to make decisions about arrangements (59%)
Helping to get quotes (40%)
Contributing towards the costs (36%)
Only 1% had spoken at a funeral.