Cremation rates soar in difficult economy

The difficult economy seems to be following people to their graves, as the percentage of families opting for cremations over pricey burials soars.

The cremation rate has been on a steady upward swing since 1985, nearly doubling from 14.9% to 29.5% in 2003 and then reaching 34.3% in 2007, according to the Cremation Assn. of North America. The percentage is projected to reach 44.4% by 2015 and then 55.6% by 2025.

At the moment, 41% of families choose the option, many due to financial pressures, according to the New York Times. 

Last year, more than half of grieving families said they’d choose cremation, compared with 31% in 1991, according to the Funeral and Memorialization Information Council. A third of those people — up from 19% in 1990 — said cost was a primary factor.

At the Cremation Society of Los Angeles, family members pay $698 for cremation, including all coroner and death certificate fees and body transport. Immediate burial options at Rice Mortuary in Torrance range from $2,095 to $8,090. 

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— Tiffany Hsu

Photo: Actress Farrah Fawcett went the traditional route with a casket in 2009. Credit: Kirk D. McKoy / Los Angeles Times