63.4%
Projected cremation rate in 2025
The National Funeral Directors Association projects that 63.4% of dispositions in the United States will be cremations in 2025.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, published statisticsU.S. REFERENCE GUIDE
U.S. Funeral and Memorial Statistics
Current figures on funeral choices, changing ceremony preferences, and the U.S. funeral service industry.
Last updated August 25, 2026. Each statistic below is linked to its named source.
AT A GLANCE
The numbers behind how Americans remember
Funeral and memorial choices are changing, from the form of disposition to the setting of a ceremony. This page gathers the latest published national figures in one place for families, writers, and anyone looking for a clearer picture of the field.
31.6%
Projected burial rate in 2025
The same report projects a 31.6% burial rate for 2025.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, published statistics82.3%
Projected cremation rate in 2045
The association expects cremation to account for 82.3% of dispositions by 2045.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, published statistics61.4%
Interested in green funeral options
In the association's 2025 consumer survey, 61.4% of respondents said they would be interested in exploring green funeral options.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, published statistics58.3%
Have attended a funeral in a nontraditional location
The 2025 consumer survey found that 58.3% of respondents had attended a funeral held outside a traditional funeral home or place of worship.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, published statistics15,401
Funeral homes operating in the United States
The National Funeral Directors Association lists 15,401 U.S. funeral homes, with approximately 75% described as family- or privately owned.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, published statistics105,300
People employed by funeral homes
U.S. funeral homes employ 105,300 people, according to the association's published industry figures.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, published statistics$16.3B
Revenue generated by funeral homes
The association reports $16.3 billion in revenue from funeral homes, with crematories and cemeteries generating an additional $4.274 billion.
Source: National Funeral Directors Association, published statisticsSOURCES AND METHOD
How this reference is kept current
This guide uses the National Funeral Directors Association's published statistics page, which was last updated September 29, 2025. The cremation and burial figures are projections from its 2025 Cremation and Burial Report. Consumer-preference figures come from its 2025 Consumer Awareness and Preferences Report. Industry figures are reported by the association as U.S. totals.
National figures are useful for showing broad changes, but they do not describe every family, community, faith tradition, or region. This page will be reviewed when a key source releases newer data.
Read the National Funeral Directors Association's published statistics
CITE THIS PAGE
A simple reference for your work
Suggested citation: Simply Amazin by Marcie. “U.S. Funeral and Memorial Statistics.” Updated August 25, 2026. https://simplyamazingbymarcie.net/funeral-memorial-statistics