Funerals cost on average 4,700 euros in France

According to a study, this figure shows strong disparities depending on the region while families are increasingly opting for cremation, which is cheaper than burial.

The cost of a funeral is far from negligible. According to a study by Silver Alliance, in partnership with Simplifia which looked at nearly 51,000 funerals organized last year (or 8% of the total), this average cost for families reached 4,730 euros.

“This figure reflects the significant financial burden that funerals represent for families, particularly in a context where 60% of relatives responsible for funerals are mainly women (59%), are over 60 years old (60%) and often receive limited income”, we can read.

Remember that the average amount of retirement pensions in France is 1,400 euros.

This average shows strong disparities depending on the region. Normandy and Île-de-France are the places where they are the most expensive: 5,350 and 5,317 euros on average.

Conversely, Occitanie (4,362 euros), the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region (4,399 euros), and Nouvelle-Aquitaine (4,452 euros) are among the least expensive.

Cremation preferred for its price

Faced with this high bill, families are increasingly opting for cremation, cheaper than burial (4,434 euros compared to 5,044 euros), a trend which has been confirmed year after year since 2005. They represent 43.5% of funerals. in the panel studied.

Especially since funerals are not just about burial or cremation. Families pay on average an additional 1,115 euros for optional services such as flower arrangements, the publication of death notices or funeral monuments.

For some families, this cost is sometimes too high. In addition to funeral insurance that everyone can take out, other systems allow heirs or people paying funeral costs to cover this expense.

If the deceased was a civil servant, his family can request the payment of a death benefit (article D712-19 of the social security code), paid under conditions.

Assistance to finance funerals

If the deceased was an employee in the private sector, the beneficiaries can request from the Primary Health Insurance Fund (CPAM) on which the deceased depended at the time of death, the payment of a death benefit, also subject to conditions. Its fixed amount is 3,909.94 euros.

If the deceased was retired, the person who pays the funeral expenses can ask to be reimbursed by the national old-age insurance fund for salaried workers (Cnav) if it owes money to the deceased (pension arrears). retirement). The reimbursement amount is capped at 2,286.74 euros.

If the deceased was a job seeker, the person who lived as a couple with him or her can request a death benefit by mail from the Pôle emploi agency on which they depended. This allowance is equal to 120 times the daily allowance that the deceased received or was going to receive.

Finally, for people whose resources do not allow them to pay funeral costs, and who do not benefit from support to cover them, it is possible to ask the municipality to cover the funeral costs free of charge or to pay the costs. funeral expenses, as indicated in article L2223-27 of the General Code of Local Authorities.