“All Souls' Day”, November 2, is a moment of contemplation for millions of French people who will put flowers on the graves of their loved ones. Now is not the time for calculations. And yet, it is a reality: funeral costs weigh heavily on families' budgets. So much so that the city of Lyon decided to introduce a “social pricing” unprecedented for its cemeteries. The proposal must be submitted to the municipal council for a vote on December 12 for application in March 2025. The municipality wishes to propose three price brackets for a 15-year funeral concession: €360 for low-income families, €550 for intermediate incomes and €750 for the wealthiest households. Against €525 for everyone today.
The price of concessions is set by the communities according to the duration: between 5 and 15 years, 30 years, 50 years or perpetuity. In Lyon, you have to pay €1,315 for a 30-year-old concession of 2 m2. In Marseille €728, in Lille €440, in Strasbourg €380. And in Paris €3,196 (and even €16,829 for a perpetual concession), regardless of the intramural cemetery. Prices in outlying Parisian cement manufacturers are, on the other hand, much lower: €1,442 in Bagneux and €861 in Thiais, for example.
Inequalities even in death
“Inequalities in the society of the living extend into deathanalyzes Lisa Carayon, lawyer, lecturer at the Sorbonne Paris Nord, specialist in funeral law. Parisian cemeteries have different statuses, certain parts of Père Lachaise are even considered historical monuments. However, the question of centrality is not neutral in terms of the place of the dead in the city. The rich Parisians are buried in Paris or in the nearest cemeteries and the poor in Thiais. »
In Paris, even more than in other large cities in France, intramural cemeteries are saturated. “This situation is largely explained by the fact that, until 2007, the funeral concessions sold to families were all perpetual concessions,” noted the Court of Auditors in a report published in 2018. Since then, things haven't changed much: the number of places is always very limited. And prices are exploding. “The system of supply and demand is indecent for death, especially since it creates inequalities. However, this public money is used for the maintenance of cemeteries. recognizes Lisa Carayon.
Where there is more space, that is to say in medium-sized towns and especially rural areas, prices are often more affordable: €340 for a thirty-year concession in Dunkirk, in the North, €200 in Gérardmer, in the Vosges, and even €150 in Fromelennes, in the Ardennes, for example.
Funeral agency costs are exploding
The price of concessions is not always what weighs the most in the budget of families, recalls the Collective for Social Security of Death, which campaigns for funeral costs, “as for birth”, underlines Jean-Loup De Saint-Phalle, one of the founders. “Funeral agency fees are often the most expensive. Since the liberalization of the market in 1993, prices have soared. Between 2014 and 2019, for example, they increased three times faster than inflation,” he notes.
According to the Court of Auditors, funeral costs amount on average to €3,350 for a burial and €3,609 for a cremation but these figures date from 2014. “ Todayadds Jean-Loup De Saint-Phalle, we are often closer to €6,000 to €7,000.” The Collective for Social Security for Death also offers funeral and “the agreement of non-profit funeral companies”, explains Alban Beaudouin, co-founder. Municipalities also do this for people with low resources, but the services can vary from one community to another. »
In Lyon, in addition to social pricing for the purchase of a 15-year funeral concession, the town hall wants to freeze the prices of public funeral directors from 2025.
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