Cremation Rates Around The World

Ever wonder how many people get cremated around the world.  Well, it turns out that the United States lags most industrialized countries in terms of cremation versus burial. 

According to the Cremation Society of Great Britain, in concentrated urban areas around the globe, the cremation rate is often greater than 70%.  It is thought that such cremation rate reflects high population density and a lack of burial space. 

In certain countries, such as Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, cremation is nearly universal. 

The chart set forth below illustrates the global cremation rate for 22 countries (including the United States) in 2017 or the latest year statistics are available.