The funeral industry benefits from the aging population. More and more trainees are also choosing to become funeral professionals – the majority are now women.
The aging effect of the population is noticeable in the funeral industry, as it leads to an increasing number of deaths. This also has consequences for undertakers. The Federal Statistical Office announced today that their turnover and employment have increased noticeably in recent years. There are currently more funeral specialist trainees than ever before.
“In 2013 there were a total of 390 trainees across all years of training,” explained the statisticians. At the end of 2023 there were more than twice as many at 860.
Especially women
The gender ratio has also changed over the past ten years. There are now more women than men training to become undertakers. In 2023, 57 percent of trainees in this area were women. Ten years ago, the proportion of women was 45 percent, the experts found.
Overall, employment figures in the funeral trade are also increasing. According to the data, around 25,700 employees were counted in 2022, which is 2.6 percent more than a year earlier. However, the proportion of low-paid employees among undertakers is very high at around a third. In general crafts it is 12.1 percent.
Funeral costs climb
Funeral costs have also increased. According to statisticians, the prices for coffins, urns, gravestones and other funeral items increased by 5.8 percent last year compared to the previous year. There was an increase of 5.4 percent in funeral services and cemetery fees. For comparison: Overall consumer prices rose by 5.9 percent in the same period.
However, surviving relatives are not always able to cover the costs of funerals. According to statisticians, the state is paying less and less for funerals. Last year, social welfare providers paid 51.1 million euros gross for so-called social burials. That is 15.7 percent less than ten years earlier.
Deaths are increasing
Funeral home sales increased from almost two billion in 2021 to 2.3 billion in 2022. They worked in around 4,200 craft businesses. Their sales increased from almost two billion in 2021 to 2.3 billion in 2022.
The background for the industry growth is the effect of an aging population. As the proportion of older people in society increases, the number of deaths also increases over the years. According to statistics, around a million people died in this country in 2023, 15 percent more than ten years earlier. In 2013 there were around 894,000 deaths.
