By the Numbers: How We Get Buried

10 percent

Decline in the number of funeral homes in the United States since 2004

3.56

Percentage of people who chose to be cremated upon their death in the U.S. in 1960

43.2

The percentage of people who choose to be cremated upon their death in the U.S. in 2012

1963

The year the Roman Catholic Church began allowing cremation

2

Percent, the annual increase in the number of people who choose cremation rather than traditional burial in the United States

99

The percentage of people who choose to be cremated after their death in Japan

$8,343

Median cost of a traditional burial funeral service in 2012

$3,742

Median cost of a traditional burial funeral service in 1991

$1,500

Average cost of a basic cremation

Sources: Wired; National Funeral Directors Association; International Cemetery and Funeral Association