THE COST OF DYING ACROSS THE WORLD: JAPAN REVEALED AS THE MOST EXPENSIVE COUNTRY TO DIE IN
- Research reveals Japan is most costly place to die sat at over two thirds the average salary
- The average cost of dying across the world is around 10% of your annual salary
- China is second most expensive place to die, with nearly 50% of salary
New research from SunLife, the over 50’s life insurance provider, has revealed which are the most expensive countries across the world to die in, when compared to the respective cost of living and earnings.
Based on available data gathered by its research team, the figures revealed that Japan is the most expensive place on the planet to die, with the cost of burial or cremation costing just over two thirds of the average salary, followed by China, which costs on average just below half of the yearly wage. Germany is the most expensive European country to die, but it sits far below the costs of China and Japan at only 16% cost of your overall salary.
According to the research, the average cost of a Japanese funeral is around 3 million Yen (approximately $27,900*), more than two thirds of the annual average salary in the country which equates to around $40,863 according to the latest figures from the OECD Better Life Index.
The top ten most expensive countries are listed below:
| Country | Average Funeral Cost
(Local currency) |
Average Funeral Cost ($) | Ave sal ($) | % cost of salary |
| Japan | 3 million Yen | 27,900 | 40,863 | 68.3 |
| China | 37,375 Yuan | 5305 | 11,675 | 45.4 |
| Germany | 6,880 Euros | 7,807.5 | 47,585 | 16.4 |
| South Africa | 26,875 ZAR | 1,562.5 | 12,061 | 13.0 |
| Netherlands | 6,000 Euros | 6,800 | 52,877 | 12.9 |
| United Kingdom | £4,417.00 | 5,521.25 | 43,727 | 12.6 |
| New Zealand | $7,506.50 | 4,893.75 | 40,043 | 12.2 |
| United States of America | $7,289 | 7,322.5 | 60,558 | 12.1 |
| Portugal | 2,631 Euros | 2,981.25 | 25,367 | 11.8 |
| Croatia | 8,400 Kuna | 1,256.25 | 10,695 | 11.7 |
Germany is the most expensive European country to die, but it sits far below the costs of the more expensive Asian countries, China and Japan at only 16% cost of your overall salary.
Not everywhere in Asia is expensive to die however, with the cost of dying in India just a mere 2% of an average salary. Based on the research, the lowest percentage of salary spent on the average funeral was in Russia (1.3%), Poland (2.3%) and Denmark (2.4%).
The top ten least expensive countries are listed below:
| Country | Average Funeral Cost
(Local currency) |
Average Funeral Cost ($) | Ave sal ($) | % cost of salary |
| Hungary | 315,000HUF | 1,021.25 | 22,576 | 4.5 |
| Colombia | 2,000,000 pesos | 538.75 | 13,073 | 4.1 |
| Estonia | 840 Euros | 952.5 | 24,336 | 3.9 |
| Slovakia | 811 Euros | 918.75 | 24,328 | 3.8 |
| Czech Republic | 21687.50 CZK | 923.75 | 25,372 | 3.6 |
| Brazil | $2,343.98 | 447.5 | 14,001 | 3.2 |
| India | 9,000 rupees | 120 | 5,071 | 2.4 |
| Denmark | 8,000DK | 1,216.25 | 51,466 | 2.4 |
| Poland | 2,400PLN | 613.75 | 27,046 | 2.3 |
| Russia | 20,200 rubles | 295 | 23,124 | 1.3 |
Commenting on the results, Justin Cole, life business director at SunLife, said:
“There are a range of factors influencing the cost of funerals across the world such as the cultural expectations, the overall cost of living and the contributions of different states towards funeral costs and we wanted to see how this impacted families globally – it’s clear that attitudes and costs vary drastically country by country with very little correlation.
“Unfortunately for us, or perhaps our family and friends, there are certain inevitable costs when it comes to dying: the costs of burial or cremation, and of course, the funeral. No matter where you live in the world, this is one fate which is inevitable for all of us; the cost of dying.”
