Weep for the Grim Reaper

The second reason for more cremations is that as mobility has greatly increased—older Americans frequently retire far from their original homes, while their children are likely to disperse throughout the country—a greater number of people no longer feel the need to be interred in a particular spot. Among the states with the highest cremation rates are those that have experienced large influxes of population, such as Arizona (60 percent) and Nevada (65 percent).

Third, concern over land use is helping tip the scales in favor of cremation. "The idea of taking up space in cemeteries when it could be used for other purposes is contributing to people's decisions," Nicodemus says. Some of the highest cremation rates are in ecofriendly coastal states like Hawaii (66 percent) and Washington (64 percent). In California, where SCI has a significant presence, more than half of 2005 deaths resulted in cremations.

With such megatrends working against it, the old-fashioned burial business seems to be facing trouble. CANA projects the cremation rate will rise to 39 percent by 2010. But there are some causes for optimism (at least if you're an undertaker). Despite the best efforts of modern medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, baby boomers will begin to die at some point. The U.S. death rate is projected to rise to 8.9 per 1,000 in 2010 and 9.3 in 2020. Jacobs says the rapidly growing Hispanic-American population places a significant emphasis on "memorialization." (Translation: Hispanics are more likely to spend money on a funeral.) And for many Americans, regardless of their faith or ethnicity, it still seems anathema to scrimp on a loved one's last life-cycle event. As Biggins wisely and wryly says: "A funeral is something you can only do once."

© 2007