USA TODAY International Edition
Survey shows more Americans choose cremation over burial
Have you thought about what to do with your body when you die? More Americans are choosing cremation over traditional burials, a new survey says.
A report by insurance firm Choice Mutual found 44% of Americans plan on being cremated, a 40% increase from the 1960s. Traditional burials were the second most popular choice, with 35% of Americans preferring the method.
Choice Mutual surveyed 1,500 people in the U. S. on their burial preferences and practices.
Other burial preferences include donating their bodies to science at 6% and being buried without a casket in the ground at 4%.
“People donate their bodies to science now because they want to help improve medical practices, and with the eco- friendly burials people are a lot more conscious of the environment,” said Morgen Henderson, a researcher at Choice Mutual, in a statement.
Americans also are opting for unique arrangements for their cremated remains, including launching them into space or having them compressed into a diamond.
The most popular option was having their ashes spread in a specific location ( 40%), followed by their ashes being kept by a family member ( 36%). One in 10 Americans who plan to be cremated want to be planted as a tree.
More Americans are shifting toward more non- traditional plans such as sea burial or plastination, a process that involves removing all fluids from the body and replacing them with a polymer or plasticlike substance.
“With the improvements and developments in technology, that has opened up a lot of different burial options,” Henderson said.