Cremation Rate by Country 2024

Cremation involves the burning of a body after death. Family members may keep the ashes, have them buried, or scatter them, depending on the dead individual's wishes. Cremation is one of the many burial practices people use around the world and a very personal decision for individuals and their families based on culture, religion, finances, and personal views.

Popularity of Cremation Globally

The popularity of cremation varies around the world. Due to the high impact of religion on burial practices, many countries with majorities of certain religions that support cremation have much higher rates.

Many religions permit cremation for their followers. Examples of these include Buddhism, Jain, and Hinduism. In places that have high percentages of followers of these religions, cremation has a higher popularity.

However, many religions oppose cremation, such as Islam, Orthodox Judaism, and the Greek Orthodox Church. Consequently, cremation does not happen at the same rates in nations with large groups from these religions as in other places.

Cremation Rates Within Countries

Within each country, the cremation rates can also vary. In countries, such as Russia and the United States, cremation happens more frequently in cities than in rural places.

Similarly, age may also play a factor in cremation statistics. In South Korea, younger people have higher cremation rates compared to those over 60.

Therefore, even a country with a low rate of cremation may have pockets where the practice occurs more frequently.

Countries with the Highest and Lowest Cremation Rates

Almost all deaths in Japan result in cremation. That country has the world's greatest rate of cremation, 99.97%, almost 100%. The other top five countries with the highest rates of cremation as of 2023, are Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Switzerland. Cremation rates in these countries range from 82.95% in Sweden to 96.76% in Taiwan.

Countries that reported the lowest rates of cremation in 2019 include Greece, Ghana, Mongolia, Lithuania, and Russia. Greece's rate was below 1%, 0.63%, while the fifth lowest, Russia, had a cremation rate of 15.21% of deaths.