The average funeral costs £9,000 – it’s no wonder they’re dying out

While everyone was busy poring over the music trends revealed by Spotify Wrapped last week, a more profound trend forecast dropped with a lot less fanfare. This one, though, has loads more consequences. Religious think tank Theos surveyed 2,500 people about their attitudes around death and found that over half of us don’t want to have a funeral when we die.

Ironically, Spotify had previously tricked me into thinking the funeral was in rude health. All year, I’ve met people who’ve started compiling a “funeral playlist” on the app. More people than you think, too, and predominantly aged in their thirties – all gleefully stashing songs away for that fateful day.

But what if, as this report suggests, there are fewer end up going to more funerals. And maybe even his. The trick is to look beyond the word “funeral” and just insist that when there’s been a death, people should come together in any setting or context. I think this happens more than we think.